Plaid Skirts
by JewWitch
Summary: AUSlash, no magic. What if Grams sent Phoebe to boarding school because she couldn't handle her anymore at home? What if her roommate was a girl named Paige Matthews...?
1. Chapter 1

**Plaid Skirts**

A Phoebe & Paige Story By **JewWitch**

**Chapter 1**

**Summary: **This is an AU story with no magic...I guess every red-blooded American dyke probably has a boarding school story in her somewhere, so this is mine. There's just something so deliciously, ironically transgressive about being put somewhere explicitly for the purpose of being kept out of trouble (i.e., away form boys!) and really, you're suddenly, secretly in the garden of eden. So this is my idea of what it would be like if Phoebe and Paige met at boarding school...they are NOT sisters...I made Paige the older one, just cause I like Phoebe as the youngest, and since it's AU anyway I decided to make them both rock stars. Other than that, they are the same Phoebe and Paige we know. This is not going to be girl-on-girl porn, kids-- if you've read any of my other stuff you'll know that-- it's just a sweet little teenage riot grrrrrl romance.

**Rating: **PG-13 for language for now; definitely R later on!

Phoebe looked up at the towering, ivy-covered brick house as she stepped out of her grandmother's car, and her stomach twisted so sharply, she actually felt ill. She glanced from the building in front of her, across the lush courtyard to where a woman was walking from another cluster of buildings, apparently toward them. She swallowed back the rising sense of panic, hot and sharp as stomach acid. _Oh God, oh God, oh God. _

"Grams, please," Phoebe begged, the hot wave swelling inside her until she felt the sting of tears. She tried to blink them back, but they spilled down her cheeks instead. Fueled by desperation, Phoebe ignored them, letting go of her composure completely as her voice cracked, then broke. "Please don't leave me here! I'll be good, I swear, I'll n-never sneak out again," she sobbed, wiping her eyes hurriedly on her sleeves. "You, you can put bars on my windows!"

"Darling," her grandmother smiled sadly, stroking Phoebe's damp cheek. "I know you probably won't believe me right now, but this isn't a punishment. I'm not angry with you, sweetheart. You're sixteen now, and with both your sisters out of the house, I just can't keep up with you on my own anymore...I can't stay up half the night to make sure you're minding your curfew like I did with your mother. You've got her wild streak, you know," Grams finished, grinning wryly as she patted Phoebe's cheek. Phoebe opened her mouth, but couldn't find anything to say; so she just took a deep breath, feeling more tears streaking down her face. She knew she ought to be embarrassed, crying like a baby and begging her grandmother not to leave her, but she wasn't. She felt strange, almost feverish; hot on the inside while goosebumps rose on her shivering arms. Grams took a tissue out of her purse and dabbed Phoebe's cheek. Phoebe took it, wiping impatiently at her wet face and squeezing her eyes shut to wipe away the tears clinging to her lashes. When she opened her eyes again, everything looked a little fuzzy because she'd rubbed them too hard; she blinked a few times, registering a figure in grey and blue at close range, probably the same one from across the yard. She blinked again, and realized it wasn't a teacher, as she'd expected, who'd come to greet her. It was a student, a girl who looked about Phoebe's own age or maybe a little older; or at least taller. She wore the blue-and-grey plaid skirt and the grey blazer that was the school uniform, with a white button-down shirt and a tie, an actual tie, and grey kneesocks.

"Hi, you must be Phoebe Halliwell," she said as she approached, holding out her hand as she addressed herself to the red-eyed girl quickly pushing the crumpled kleenex into her pocket. "I'm Paige Matthews, your dorm sister." Phoebe raised both eyebrows and stared at the strange girl blankly. Paige laughed, giving Phoebe what looked like an apologetic grin. "It just means I'm the one whose job it is to show you around the dorm, help you find your classes, you know, make sure you settle in okay."

"Oh," Phoebe nodded dumbly. She knew she ought to try for more than one syllable, but at present her thought-forming powers were focused almost exclusively on Paige's smiling brown eyes. Her long black hair was a little messy, falling around her shoulders in a heap of loose curls, held back from her forehead with a couple of kids' barrettes, red, shaped like little bows. Paige cocked her head, catching Phoebe's eyes again with a grin, and Phoebe grinned back, feeling her cheeks flush; she looked down at the ground, feeling uncharacteristically sheepish. She noticed that Paige's kneesocks weren't actually part of the uniform-- at least, Phoebe seriously doubted they were, as they each showed a large graphic of a guitar with angelic wings unfurled, bearing the epithet _Rock On _across the center. The ankle-high black combat boots probably weren't regulation, either.

"Nice socks," Phoebe said wryly, in what felt like her normal voice again.

"Thanks," Paige smirked. Then, to Phoebe's grandmother, "I can take you to the Headmaster's office if you have any last-minute questions or anything."

"That's quite all right, dear, I've already spoken with Daniel-- Mr. Cabot, I should say. But I will ask you to keep an eye on my granddaughter. She's much too proud to ask for help when she needs it," Grams winked.

_"Grams," _Phoebe hissed, rolling her eyes. Huffily, she went around to the trunk and began unloading her suitcases. A moment later she was surprised to find Paige next to her, pulling out bags. "That's okay, I got it," Phoebe said, wincing when she realized her voice still sounded huffy and sullen. "I mean, you really don't have to--"

"I don't mind," Paige said dismissively. "Moving in sucks no matter what, but it can suck a little less, you know?" She grinned, and Phoebe felt her own grin blossom in return, completely without conscious intention.

"Well, Phoebe dear, I leave you in capable hands," Grams said, moving toward her youngest grandchild for a final hug. "Be good, my darling," She whispered, giving Phoebe a squeeze. Phoebe felt her tears welling up again as she smelled her grandmother's perfume; it occurred to her that she wouldn't smell anything familiar for a long time.

"I will, Grams," she mumbled huskily, letting go of her grandmother quickly and wiping her eyes on her sleeve, grabbing blindly at the nearest suitcase and stumbling with it toward the dorm. She didn't turn around at the sound of Grams getting into her car, then driving away.

"Phoebe, wait," Paige called, tugging another large suitcase behind her. Phoebe finally whirled around, just in time to catch her grandmother's tail lights clearing the wrought-iron gates.

"What?" She snapped, her voice sharp and sullen again.

"Our dorm is this way," Paige informed her with a smirk, chucking her thumb over her shoulder.

"Oh."

They stumbled along dragging Phoebe's bags up three flights of stairs, panting slightly by the time they reached the door with _Phoebe Halliwell, San Francisco, CA _written in bubbly, rainbow-colored letters on the door. There was another girl's name on the door, of course, and Phoebe glanced at it in surprise. It read, _Paige Matthews, Santa Cruz, CA_.

"I thought you said you were a senior," Phoebe frowned, wiping the sweat from her brow as she let her suitcase fall from her hand with a _clunk_. "Don't roommates usually go by class year?"

"Usually, yeah," Paige nodded. "But you know, your showing up mid-year is pretty unorthodox; and there aren't a lot of open doubles on campus."

"Open doubles?"

"Yeah," Paige nodded again, dropping the second suitcase and sitting on it, pulling a pack of Camel Lights from her pocket, and lighting one with a casual flick of her lighter. She sat on the suitcase, and blew out a few smoke rings. "It means a room for two people, with two beds and two desks and everything, but only one person living in it." She looked up and noticed Phoebe eyeing her cigarette. "You want one?"

"I thought you were supposed to be keeping me in line," Phoebe teased.

"I'm not your mom," Paige shrugged, taking another drag. She looked up, head cocked, and they stared at each other for a long moment without speaking.

"Yeah, I want one," Phoebe admitted, an unexpected rush of warmth flooding her stomach when she took the cigarette from Paige's hand. She noticed that Paige's nails were short, and her fingers felt rough on Phoebe's own. She found herself glancing around automatically, her eyes quickly finding the guitar propped in the corner of the room. "Cool guitar," she grinned.

"Thanks," Paige smiled back shyly, pulling out her lighter again to light Phoebe's cigarette. "It was my dad's, a '65 Gibson hummingbird. You play?"

"Actually...I'm a drummer," Phoebe admitted, feeling warm again when Paige's eyes lit up.

"Seriously? Oh, shit, we'll have to jam."

"I didn't bring them with me."

"Well I didn't think you had a drum kit in your suitcase," Paige chuckled, going to her desk and sitting on the corner, legs dangling, as she blew another set of smoke rings. "There's practice rooms in the music building, we've got all that stuff. It's actually a pretty rad set up."

"Oh," Phoebe said again stupidly, her cheeks flushing. Paige studied her for a moment.

"It gets easier, you know," she said finally. "Being here. You'll get used to it faster than you think...it's not a bad place to be."

"Yeah?" Phoebe smirked, and rolled her eyes half-heartedly.

"Yeah." Paige waggled her eyebrows, and they both laughed easily. "So how'd you pull off a mid-year admittance, anyway? This place doesn't exactly have an open-door policy."

"My Grams is old friends with the headmaster," Phoebe shrugged, tapping her ashes into a tin can full of old butts on the windowsill. _At least I got a roommate who doesn't mind breaking the rules, _she thought to herself, cheering slightly as she took another drag. "I'm your good deed for the year."

"Oh yeah?" Paige raised one eyebrow curiously. "How's that?"

"It used to be my sisters' job to keep me in line, make sure I'm being a good little doobie and not sneaking around to squander my youth...now that they're both in college, it was just Grams and me, and...well, I guess I'm just a little too much for her to handle." Phoebe looked down at the windowsill, trying to look as though this didn't bother her. "So Saint Anne's agreed to take over the job."

"No mom and dad?" Paige asked quietly. Phoebe shook her head.

"My dad's out there somewhere; we just don't know where. He split after my mom died, when I was about three. I don't really remember either of them." She shrugged, looking up at Paige with a false smile. "Another American sob story, right?"

"At least you've still got your grandmother, and your sisters," Paige said, taking another cigarette from her pack and lighting it off the end of the last one.

"Yeah," Phoebe nodded, her fake smile sliding into a weak, but genuine, grin. "Prue's a junior at Berkeley, and Piper just left for Palo Alto...I wish I could go live with her."

"Stanford?"

"Uh-huh," Phoebe mumbled, wiping her nose on her sleeve with an ill-disguised sniffle. "She just started last semester. She's...doing really great."

"You must be proud," Paige said, tossing a box of kleenex over to Phoebe's side of the small room.

"Oh...yeah...thanks." Phoebe grinned bashfully again, blowing her nose to cover her embarrassment at being caught on the verge of tears yet again.

"Not allergic to the smoke, are you?" Paige asked coyly, cocking her head and holding up her cigarette.

"No."

"Well that's good," Paige nodded approvingly. "Otherwise you'd be in for a pretty miserable semester."

"Aren't you afraid I might turn you in?" Phoebe asked, cocking her head back with a mischievously raised eyebrow.

"Ha," Paige snickered. "Not bloody likely...I read your file, miss bad girl. You're not the tattle-tale type."

"You read my file?" Phoebe jumped to her feet in outrage, hands on her hips. "What is this, some kind of Neo-McCarthyism?!"

"Ooh, smart _and _rebellious," Paige teased, laughing at Phoebe's outburst. "Relax, champ, it's standard procedure. I'm student council president, and _you're_ the only new girl in the 11th grade this year."

"You're...? Oh. Really? Wow." Phoebe sat back down on the edge of the bed, eyebrows knit with all the new information she was acquiring. "So, you play in a band, smoke in your room, _and _you're student council president?"

"Yup." Paige ground out her cigarette on the windowsill.

"Seems like kind of a contradiction in terms."

"I'm a complicated girl," Paige shrugged, standing up with a stretch. "What say we get you unpacked, yeah?"

"Okay," Phoebe agreed, pulling one of her suitcases onto the bed and unlatching it. "Your family must be, like, insanely proud of you. Student council president at a prestigious boarding school like Saint Anne's."

"I like to think they would be," Paige said lightly. Phoebe stopped going through her clothes, and looked up blankly.

"They, um...don't know?"

"No," Paige shook her head, her voice still casual though she wasn't looking at Phoebe. "They're dead. My parents and I were in a car wreck three years ago; they were both killed instantly, but I got off with nothing but a metal plate in my head. I was in foster care for a while, and now I'm here on scholarship...technically, I'm a ward of the State." She looked up then, catching the unguarded horror on Phoebe's face. "Just another American sob story, right?"

"Oh, God, Paige, I'm sorry-- I, I shouldn't have said--"

"No, it's cool, you didn't know," Paige shook her head, reaching over to give Phoebe's hand a brief squeeze. Phoebe's stomach belly-flopped against her diaphragm. "Don't feel weird about it, please. It's just how things are." Phoebe could tell from the expression in Paige's eyes that she was serious, and it certainly made sense that the girl didn't want to have people acting sad or pitying her all the time. She blinked, feeling a sudden sense of shock at how strongly she felt she knew what Paige was thinking and feeling, after only having just met her. But she accepted it, as she'd always accepted her gut feelings, without question.

"So you really have a metal plate in your head?" Phoebe asked, a small smirk emerging.

"Oh yeah," Paige nodded, grinning innocently as she made a fist and knocked lightly on the side of her head, making a fake _clang clang _sound with her tongue. "I'm airport security's worst nightmare." Phoebe laughed.

"That's amazing, you can't even tell. Does it hurt?"

"Nah," Paige shrugged. "I get migraines once in a while, but nothing too bad."

"Geez," Phoebe mumbled. She was beginning to feel like kind of a brat for feeling so sorry for herself earlier. Paige had been through so much more than Phoebe could even imagine, and here she was nursing Phoebe through her little pity party; and helping her unpack, to boot.

"Yeah, just don't tie me to a tree in a thunderstorm or anything," Paige teased. Phoebe could tell that she was trying to lighten the mood, and she let her.

"I'll try to restrain myself," Phoebe bantered back. "Got any good unpacking music?"

By the time they'd finished getting Phoebe settled into the room, the morning was over, and Paige lead them both across the lush green quad to the dining hall, another large, impressively ivy-covered building surrounded by tall oak trees. Paige introduced Phoebe to almost everyone they passed on their way to the lunch line, and Phoebe gave up trying to remember all the names after only a few minutes. It was overwhelming, being the only new kid in such a large, impressive place, from the vaulted ceilings to the polished oak tables and benches. She felt grateful for Paige's company, more than she'd expected to, and stayed beside her until the bell rang for afternoon lessons. Paige produced a copy of Phoebe's new schedule from her backpack, and walked her to the academic quad, leaving her at the door to her first class, American History.

"Okay, soldier, you ready to go down fighting?" Paige winked. Her grin faltered when she saw Phoebe's panic-stricken expression, the same one she'd had when they'd first met-- was it only hours ago?-- out on the lawn. "Hey, I was just kidding," Paige said gently, bumping Phoebe with her hip. "You'll be fine, trust me. I don't care how many favors the headmaster owes your grandmother, you wouldn't be here if you couldn't hack it." Phoebe looked up into Paige's dark brown eyes, and felt the same inexplicable warmth as before, when she stood begging her grandmother not to leave her here.

"Right," Phoebe nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I'm good. It's cool. See you later."

"Hey." Paige caught her arm as she turned to enter the classroom. "I'll meet you here when the bell rings, and walk you to your next class, okay?" Phoebe let out the breath she was holding, and grinned weakly.

"Okay." Paige winked, and walked away, leaving Phoebe to brave her classes alone. "Okay," Phoebe said again to herself, striding into the room full of strangers with her shoulders set and her chin held high. She imagined that she was Prue, confident and self-assured as she found a seat amid all these hyper-intelligent prep school girls; she tried to visualize Prue sitting there, how she would hold herself, as if she had all the answers to every question that could ever be asked.

"Oooh, look, it's Mattie's new pet," a voice behind Phoebe spoke loudly. She didn't turn around, assuming, as she didn't know anyone in the room, that the voice was not addressing her.

"Hey, new girl. Hello? I'm talking to you." Phoebe turned in her seat, to find a girl with braided red hair staring her down with eyebrows raised appraisingly. "So who'd you screw to get in here halfway through the school year?"

"Your mom," Phoebe said dryly, turning back to face forward in her seat. "And my name's not _new girl_, it's Phoebe."

"Ooh, Mattie's pet has claws," the girl purred, leaning forward so her mouth was right by Phoebe's ear. "I heard all about you, kitty cat. Think you're all kinds of bad news cause you broke a few rules back at Goobertown High?" She snorted. Phoebe ignored her, keeping her eyes facing forward at the empty blackboard. "It's gonna be a little harder than that here, kitten. Just remember you start at the bottom." A small, sharp pain flashed through Phoebe's temple as the red-haired girl flicked her on the side of her head, like a schoolyard bully. Phoebe whirled around in her seat, eyes flashing, to meet a set of pale green eyes grinning back at her in a _come on and try it _way.

"Look," Phoebe snarled, but at that moment the teacher walked in, greeting the class with a brisk _Good Afternoon_, and Phoebe fell silent, turning back toward the blackboard. It was going to be a long first day.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey peeps,

in answer to various questions-- my other unfinished story, _The Witching Hour_, is currently on hiatus; I don't know when or if I'll finish it. And just to reiterate for those who asked, this story has NO magic. This chapter is rated "T" for language, the same as the last one.

**Plaid Skirts**

**Chapter 2**

**By JewWitch**

True to her word, Paige was waiting for Phoebe when she got out of class, chatting with a small flock of girls, all in the same blue and grey uniform that Phoebe now wore. She noticed that Paige's friends all seemed to have minor infractions going on the uniform front, however, just like Paige's _Rock On _kneesocks; there was one girl with a dog-chain style belt over her skirt, one with a pink streak in her blond hair, and one with a t-shirt that said _bitch goddess_ under her blazer. Phoebe felt slightly more at home as she looked at them and realized that these were her people-- the punk rock girls.

"Hey Pheebs," Paige smiled, "how was it?" Phoebe's stomach lurched again when Paige smiled at her, and she told herself it was because Paige had used the nickname her sisters normally called her by; she just wasn't used to hearing it here, yet.

"I think I might have just made my first enemy," Phoebe said with a shrug, "but other than that it was cool. I don't think I'll have to do much catching up."

"Who's your arch nemesis?" Paige asked, eyebrow raised. Phoebe glanced over her shoulder at the red-haired girl now walking down the hall, surrounded by her own flock of cronies. "Oh," Paige laughed, "you've met our alpha-bitch; that's Jenna Hamilton. But don't worry, her bark is worse than her bite."

"Does she call you _Mattie?" _Phoebe frowned, following Paige through the labyrinthine corridors to her Chemistry class.

"Oh, yeah," Paige rolled her eyes. "I almost forgot about that...it's because of my boots." She kicked up one foot to display the scuffy black combat boots. "She made some dumb joke my first day here about how I thought I was at military school...and she said if that was what I wanted, she'd help make it more real. So she started calling me _Matthews_ all the time, which eventually got shortened to _Mattie_. And the shit-kicker is, since it sounds like a real name, and since nobody here knew me yet, she got a whole bunch of people calling me that, too." Paige rolled her eyes again. "Junior high much?" Phoebe snickered.

"That's stupid, lots of people wear combat boots...I've got a pair in my trunk."

"Better not let Jenna see you wearing them, or she'll be calling you _Hallie_ next," Paige snorted. Phoebe laughed. She didn't mention that Jenna had, effectively, called her Paige's pet...she wasn't sure why, it just made her feel slightly uncomfortable, so she let it go. The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur; between classes, a meeting she was obliged to attend with her new faculty advisor, a dinner she wolfed down as if she hadn't eaten in days, and a load of homework she was scrambling to catch up on. She was banging her head against her open Chemistry book when Paige came back form her student council meeting.

"Having fun yet?" Paige asked, dropping her heavy backpack on the floor and belly-flopping onto her bed. Phoebe raised her head, and gave her roommate a withering glare. Paige laughed. "Okay, I know what you need...follow me." And without preamble, Paige proceeded to open the window and climb out.

"Paige!" Phoebe squealed, jumping up from her desk in surprise and alarm. "Where are you going? Are you insane? We're on the third floor!" Paige's head re-emerged, one hand still on the windowsill. She waggled her eyebrows goofily, and Phoebe burst out laughing.

"C'mon, Pheebs, I won't let anything happen to you." Phoebe stopped laughing and cocked her head.

"I know you won't."

"Then let's _go_, already!"

It turned out that there was a very sturdy trellis right beside their window, supporting all that thick, twining ivy that covered half the building; it was ridiculously easy to climb down it. Since their room was on the back side of the building, they were now facing the woods, which looked very deep and dark to Phoebe, the tall redwoods blocking out the moonlight. She hung back, and Paige glanced over her shoulder, reaching out a hand. Phoebe took it. they walked in silence for a few minutes, Paige leading Phoebe over rocks and tree roots with practiced ease. Finally they came to a clearing, where the trees gave way to thick green grass, and the waxing moon shone brightly amid a sea of pearly clouds.

"Wow," Phoebe murmured, turning full-circle on the spot. She noticed the outline of what looked like a tiny shack across the field. "What's that?" She pointed.

"Old equipment shed." Paige flopped down on the soft grass and pulled something from her boot. "Hasn't been used in...well, actually I don't really know. A long time. It's just dusty old wheelbarrows and stuff." She flicked her lighter, and Phoebe realized it was a joint Paige now held between her lips. She took a deep drag, and lay back against the grass, arms over her head and eyes closed, with a long, low sigh of contentment. Phoebe glanced down at the pale, smooth skin of Paige's exposed stomach. Then Paige opened her eyes and leaned up on one elbow to offer her the joint, and Phoebe jerked guiltily.

"You don't have to," Paige shrugged, thinking Phoebe's sudden start was out of shock at being offered the joint.

"No, it's cool-- I want it," Phoebe grinned, taking the tiny glowing bundle and inhaling deeply. The smoke filled her lungs, relaxing her, making her feel even warmer and giddier than she did already. She handed it back to Paige with a huge, dopey grin. "So you're pretty much the coolest girl in this whole place," she pronounced, as if it were an obvious fact not open to debate. "How'd I get lucky enough to be your roommate? Are you sure my grams isn't paying you to be nice to me?"

"Oh, yeah, cause being nice to you is really a chore," Paige snorted, reaching up to take the joint back. "I guess we both lucked out on this one." Phoebe blushed, but couldn't think of anything to say. They stayed as they were for a few minutes, lying on their backs and staring up at the star-strewn sky, passing the joint back and forth. Then Paige cleared her throat and said, in a slightly huskier voice than before, "Listen, before we start making a habit out of this, I just want to make sure you know what people will say about us."

"What?" Phoebe asked, leaning up on one elbow and cocking an eyebrow at Paige. "That we're no-good, juvenile delinquent drug addicts?" She snorted. "Big whoop, heard it before."

"Um, no...that wasn't quite what I meant." Phoebe raised one eyebrow, as if to say, _well? _Paige coughed awkwardly. "Look, it's no secret around here that I, um, play for both teams, you know?"

"What, you're bi?" Paige nodded. "So?"

_"So_, people around here are starved for rumors...if you're seen sneaking off into the woods with me at night, it'll be going around that you're my new plaything inside a week, and you'll never live it down." She swallowed, concentrating on the glowing ember of the roach now smoldering in the grass. "I just want you to know what you're getting yourself into. I mean, I'll understand if you _don't_ want to get yourself into it."

"Paige, give me a little credit," Phoebe snickered, rolling her eyes. "I'm from San _Francisco, _remember? I've got gay friends at home." _But none as yummy as you_. The thought popped into her mind before she could stop it; she blushed crimson and hoped the moonlight wasn't bright enough to show it. She realized that this was what Jenna had meant when she'd called her _Mattie's new pet_, and the burning in her cheeks suddenly rushed south. She swallowed. "It's no big. If people want to talk, let them talk." They grinned at each other. Everything was swimming in a pool of moonlight; Phoebe felt dizzy and high and very, very warm where her leg was touching Paige's. A slight shiver of electricity shot through her body.

"You cold?"

"Um, maybe a little," Phoebe lied.

"C'mon, we should probably head back," Paige sighed, pulling herself up and offering Phoebe her hand. "It wouldn't do for the student council president to be caught breaking curfew, now would it?" Phoebe let Paige pull her up, and reached out to pull a leaf from Paige's hair. "Oh. Thanks." Paige smiled sheepishly. Hand in hand, they started back through the woods.

The next few weeks passed in a blur for Phoebe; the class work was far more demanding than what she was used to, but she found at the same time that it was actually easier for her to pay attention and apply herself when she was being challenged. She'd never thought of herself as smart before, certainly not compared to Prue and Piper, so the sudden rush of high marks was nothing short of astonishing. She also spent a good chunk of her free time in the music building, jamming with Paige and her punk rock friends, all of whom Phoebe found excellent company. But she was still always glad to go home with Paige each night, to their own little room where the world slowed down, and it was just the two of them. She was thinking of this as she banged through the door one evening, flicking on the lights and wondering if she could convince Paige to go to their spot in the woods tonight, when she noticed her roommate curled up in a ball on her bed, her pillow held over her head.

"Lights. Off." Paige mumbled from behind the pillow.

"Paigey?" Phoebe asked quietly, flicking the lights back off and sitting on the edge of the bed. "What's the matter, sweetie? Are you sick?" She reached out and rubbed the whimpering girl's back, trying to feel for a fever.

"No...just a migraine," Paige groaned, moving the pillow and looking up at Phoebe with puffy, pain-filled eyes. "I just need it to stay dark and quiet tonight, okay?"

"Okay," Phoebe whispered, feeling both anxious and useless as Paige's eyes squeezed shut, and she curled up even tighter with a small, strangled sob. "Do you want me to take you to the nurse?"

_"No," _Paige hissed, "no nurse...they can't do anything anyway, and it would just...make it harder..." She made another small sound halfway between a groan and a whimper, and rolled over to throw up into the trash can beside her bed.

"Okay," Phoebe murmured soothingly, rubbing Paige's back again in wide circles as she stretched out on the bed next to her. "It's okay, sweetie, shhh..." Paige was crying, her breath coming out in ragged gasps as Phoebe tried to soothe her.

"I'm sorry...you have to deal with this," Paige sniffed, holding her head in her hands. "It's why...I had the single..." Phoebe felt as if her heart were about to split in two.

"Oh, my sweet girl, shhh...it's okay, Paigey, I'm right here, I'm not gonna leave you alone like this. Just relax, and breathe...that's good..." Phoebe stroked a damp lock of hair back from Paige's sweat-soaked face, and began rhythmically rubbing her temples with her fingertips. "Does that feel good?" She murmured.

"Yes," Paige whispered. "Really good."

"Good," Phoebe nodded. She kept up her gentle massage in silence for a few minutes.

"Phoebe?"

"Hmm?"

"Can you...get my pills from my top desk drawer?"

"Sure, baby," Phoebe hummed, kissing Paige lightly on the forehead as she stood and crossed the small room in darkness, tripping over her backpack with a stifled _oof_ before reaching Paige's desk and finding the small prescription bottle by feeling around the drawer. She squinted, holding the bottle up to the moonlight to read Paige's name and the words _class III narcotic-- dangerous unless used as directed_. In the old days, this would have been the kind of situation Phoebe would have taken advantage of-- she knew there were plenty of people out there eager to pay through the nose for prescription painkillers like these. But now, looking over at Paige who lay trembling on her bed, crying quietly with her hands over her face, Phoebe couldn't even think of pocketing the pills.

"Okay, here we go," she said quietly, shaking out two pills and putting the rest back where she'd found them. Paige's hands were shaking too much to take the pills, so Phoebe just put them in her mouth, as her sisters had done for her when she was little, and helped her take a sip of water to wash them down. Then she lay down next to Paige and wrapped her arms around the shivering girl's stomach, pulling the covers up over both of them. She began stroking Paige's stomach in slow circles, telling herself that the flood of warmth that rushed through her at the feeling of Paige's soft skin was just a reflection of how much she wanted to help Paige feel better.

"Phoebe..." Paige sighed sleepily. "That feels so good."

"I want you to feel good," Phoebe murmured, snuggling up against Paige's back and burying her face in the silky-soft locks of her hair, breathing in the scent of orange blossoms and jasmine. Her heart thumped painfully in her chest. _You're just being a good friend,_ she told herself firmly. _Paige doesn't have anyone to take care of her_. As her roommate's sharp, restless breathing began to even out, and her tense frame went limp in Phoebe's arms, she amended herself: Paige didn't have anyone to take care of her before...but she sure as hell did now.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey Peeps!

Okay, first of all, I want you all to know that this update was ready FIVE DAYS ago, but I have been having massive technical difficulties uploading new documents. Turns out the problem was that the email address I had attached to my account had gone defunct because I hadn't checked it in so long. My bad. So now we're back on track...and the GOOD news is, there are now THREE updates ready to rock, which I will post for the next three days in a row. So that's kind of sweet...

Also, I was just watching the movie _Doom Generation_ w/ my roommates because we were on a post-_Grindhouse_ Rose McGowan trip, and I remembered that it was one of the best fucking movies ever made. If you are reading this, you probably love Rose McGowan; so if you haven't seen Doom Generation, go fucking do it already. Hear her tell a guy "you're not even human; you're like a life-support system for a cock!" And Grindhouse too. While it's still in the theaters, bitch! That shit ain't gonna be anywhere near as impressive on your TV. Anyway...

Christphern-- Thanks for your understanding; I am indeed suffering from some serious writer's block with regard to "The Witching Hour." So frustrating! I'm hoping that keeping my writerly juices flowing with other stories will help get me there...glad to have you along for the ride :)

Powerof4-- no worries, I don't mind answering the occassional question twice. Glad you're liking!

Hotcutii-- I totally agree, Phoebe is the one with the heart of gold, always has been. Remember after the big sister fight in season 3, when Cole was trying to turn them against each other so he could kill them? Phoebe was the only one who cried afterwards! She breaks my fucking heart... sigh !

Socialitegirl-- Dare I ask, what _did_ you expect...? ;)

Everyone else, thanks for your praises! On with the show...

**Plaid Skirts**

**Chapter 3**

**By JewWitch**

Phoebe woke up feeling warmer than she had ever felt in her life. As her sleepy brain began to reach toward consciousness, all she knew was that she never wanted to move again; she was perfectly happy to stay exactly where she was, forever. Then she shifted, and her stomach pressed up against Paige's back, reminding her that she had spent the night in her roommate's bed. She blinked, slowly realizing that she was completely wrapped around her still sleeping bedmate; her hand had snuck up under Paige's shirt, splayed protectively across her abdomen, which was rising and falling in a slow, even rhythm. Phoebe gulped, feeling extremely grateful that her hand hadn't wandered any further. She propped herself up on one elbow, pulling her hand out of Paige's shirt to smooth the sleeping girl's hair back. She looked perfectly peaceful; anyone would think she'd just had a normal night's sleep, aside from the slightly purplish circles under her eyes, which stood out obviously against her pale face.

"Paigey?" Phoebe murmured, running her fingers lightly through her roommate's dark hair and nudging her gently. "Paaaa-aaaaaiiiiiige..." But Paige didn't stir; she was dead to the world. Phoebe wasn't surprised, figuring the drugs she had taken had done their job and then some. She would probably sleep till noon. Phoebe, on the other hand, knew she had to get up and go to breakfast, and then class...but it was hard to muster the will. It felt so good being spooned up against Paige like this, warm and sleepy, feeling her steady breathing. Phoebe thought briefly of how much pain the girl sleeping next to her had been in a few hours ago, and couldn't resist leaning down and kissing Paige on the cheek before she crawled out and let the cold morning air hit her skin.

She dressed quietly, slipping her books into her backpack as noiselessly as possible, and tiptoed from the room toward breakfast, stopping first at the nurse's office to explain why Paige wouldn't be in class. She had hoped, given what Paige had told her, that the school nurse would be familiar with the situation and not give Phoebe a hard time about it, or, worse, demand that Paige wake up and come in to see her. But she was still surprised with how casually the woman waved her off, telling her simply to have Paige check in with her before returning to class, and then handing her a note to be delivered to Paige's homeroom teacher. Phoebe was beginning to wonder just how common an occurrence this was, her heart tugging insistently at the thought of Paige in pain like she'd seen last night. She sighed, brushing away the thought as she made her way to breakfast.

She met a few of her new bandmates in the dining hall, and was soon deeply immersed in a discussion of bass lines, when a loud, jeering voice behind her piped up, "Lover's quarrel, pet? Where's your master, little kitty?" She gritted her teeth, feeling a steadying hand on her shoulder as her friends advised her to ignore Jenna-- or, as Darcy, the pink-haired girl, put it-- _Fuck her. _Phoebe kept her eyes facing forward, taking a tray down and banging it a little too hard on the metallic countertop.

"Me-yow, kitty's in a snit! Poor little kitty cat, no cream for you last night, huh?" Phoebe whirled around, her tray clattering to the floor noisily and attracting half the eyes in the dining hall.

"If you're talking about Paige," she snarled, "she's out sick today, okay? She actually has a bigger pain to deal with than you."

"Oh," Jenna snickered derisively, "you mean she's having one of her _I don't feel like going to class today_ headaches?" She rolled her eyes. "Please." Phoebe's hands clenched into fists.

"You don't know the first thing about it," She said in a voice quivering with anger, then whirled around and stalked out of the dining hall.

She spent the rest of the morning in a state of distracted agitation, darting back to her dorm room between every class to check on Paige, who hadn't moved an inch. When the lunch bell rang, Phoebe was the first one through the line, hurriedly stuffing muffins and some fruit into a paper bag and taking it back to her room, where she sat quietly at her desk doing homework for the next forty minutes. It was almost time for afternoon classes when she heard a low sigh from across the room, and the rustle of sheets and blankets as Paige rolled over with a yawn.

"Uhhhhh...Phoebe?" She mumbled hoarsely, her voice rough with sleep. "Issit time t'get up?"

"No, sweetie, you don't have to get up," Phoebe cooed, perching on the edge of Paige's bed and lightly stroking her hair. "Just go back to sleep, Paigey..." But Paige's eyes blinked open, looking up at Phoebe with a dazed, half-asleep smile.

"Hi," she yawned, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Hi yourself," Phoebe grinned, resisting the impulse to reach out and run her fingers through Paige's hair again.

"You were in my dream," Paige mumbled, rolling onto her side and wrapping one arm around Phoebe's leg. Phoebe felt a brief shock of adrenalin at the unexpectedly intimate contact; Paige was obviously still under the influence of the painkillers, sleepy and cuddly, almost childlike.

"Oh yeah?" Phoebe scooted down under the covers to lie next to Paige, who put her head down on Phoebe's collarbone with another long yawn. "What was I doing?"

"Hmmm...you were a mermaid...you said if I came with you underwater, I could be one too."

"That sounds nice," Phoebe grinned, her fingers playing absently through Paige's hair. "Did you go with me?"

"Of course." Phoebe grinned shyly, though Paige couldn't see it, and kissed her temple.

"How's your head?"

"My...?" Paige frowned. Then her eyes widened, and she looked suddenly much more awake as her pale cheeks flushed pink, and she clapped her hand over her mouth with a groan. "Oh, shit...Phoebe, I'm sorry..."

"You're _sorry?" _Phoebe repeated incredulously. "What the hell are you sorry for?"

"For last night," Paige said, wincing in embarrassment. "For everything, for how you had to take care of me..."

"Hey." Phoebe took Paige's hand, and pulled it away to look her in the eyes. "I didn't _have_ to, okay, I wanted to. I'm not just going to sit here and watch while you're hurting. Got it?" Paige nodded, grinning weakly up at Phoebe, who beamed at her. "Are you hungry? Lunch is over, but I got you a blueberry muffin, some clementines, and a banana..."

"Lunch?" Paige echoed weakly, glancing at the clock. "Aw, bugger."

"Forget it, you've got the day off," Phoebe said dismissively. "I got you a note from the nurse. Breakfast in bed?" She wiggled her eyebrows, depositing the items she'd procured onto Paige's lap.

"You got me...?" Paige blinked up at Phoebe, completely nonplussed. "Are you sure you're not a codeine induced hallucination?" In answer, Phoebe reached out and pinched Paige's arm. "Ow!" Paige squealed, smacking Phoebe on the thigh.

"Just trying to help," Phoebe said cheekily. Her goofy smile faded when she noticed Paige looking up at her with a suddenly serious expression.

"Thank you," Paige said quietly. Phoebe blushed.

"Anytime." They spent the last few minutes of the lunch break sharing the food Phoebe had snuck out of the dining hall, both of them still lounging comfortably in Paige's bed, when a knock sounded on the door. "It's open," Phoebe called, and Darcy, the girl with the pink hair, strode in with a stack of papers.

"Madam President," she said with a formal salute to Paige.

"Fuck you," Paige said, but she was grinning.

"Got your homework," Darcy waved the pages in front of Paige and tossed them onto the desk. She raised her eyebrow at the picnic Phoebe and Paige were sharing, and the way they were lounging together on the twin bed. "Looks like you're feeling better, chica."

"Much." Paige smiled.

"Good deal, then we won't have to suffer through goon-face Randy McMasters running student council tonight."

"Darcy, Paige isn't running any meetings today," Phoebe frowned. "She needs to rest."

"I'm okay, Pheebs, really. I feel completely fine." Paige smiled encouragingly; Phoebe scowled.

"Well...if you're sure..." The bell for afternoon classes rang out across the quad, and Phoebe regretfully pulled herself out of Paige's bed. "See you at dinner?"

"Uh-huh." Paige scrambled up after Phoebe, stretching her arms above her head with a satisfied sigh. "Man, I need a shower."

"Phoebe." Darcy poked her hard in the ribs, getting her attention back from Paige's bellybutton. "Let's go, we're gonna be late for class." They were out the door and halfway across the courtyard before Phoebe shoved her hands into her jacket pockets, and the pout on her face slid smoothly into a wide, dopey grin.

"What are you smiling about, you goon?" Darcy asked, one eyebrow raised suspiciously. Phoebe pulled her hand out of her pocket, displaying a handful of Hershey Kisses.

"Paige must've slipped them in there when I wasn't looking," she said happily, unwrapping one and popping it in her mouth. "Want one?" Darcy stopped walking, and put her hands on her hips. "What?"

"Look, sweetie, I know you're new around here, but let me give you some advice: you do NOT want to hook up with your roommate."

"We're _not_--"

"Uh-uh, don't even say it. It's all over your goddamn faces, you're a pair of fucking puppy dogs-- and that would be peachy fucking keen if it weren't for the fact that you're roommates. It's just not a good idea, okay? What do you think's gonna happen when you have a fight? Haven't you ever heard the expression _don't shit where you sleep_?" Phoebe's jaw hung open for a moment; then she snapped it closed with a growl of frustration.

"We're not doing anything, for god's sake! Do I have to write it on a banner and hang it in the fucking auditorium?" She stamped her foot on the ground for emphasis. Darcy chuckled.

"Okay chica, don't get your knickers in a twist...if you say nothing's going on, then nothing's going on. Just make sure it stays that way, okay? For both your sakes." She winked, then walked on, leaving Phoebe standing motionless by the tall oak with a sudden stomachache.


	4. Chapter 4

**Plaid Skirts**

**Chapter 4**

**By JewWitch**

"Phoebe? Hello?" Paige threw a wadded up page of notebook paper at her unresponsive roommate, who sat staring blankly out the dark window with a glassy eyed expression on her face.

"What?" Phoebe blinked.

"What do you mean, _what? _What's up with you? You've been a total space cadet since dinner."

"Nothing's up." Phoebe made a wan attempt at a smile. Paige raised one eyebrow.

"Oh, that was very convincing." She cocked her head.

"Fuck off."

"Phoebe!" Paige stared at her in shock. Phoebe hadn't really meant to sound so mean...she wanted to say it the way Paige did to her friends, in a somehow goofy way that didn't really _mean_ fuck off; but she'd said it with real anger in her voice. She looked up at Paige's hurt, confused expression, and felt immediately guilty.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean-- I just--"

"It's okay," Paige shrugged coolly, casting her eyes away. "It's not like you have to tell me everything."

"No," Phoebe shook her head. "I'm a dumb ass, I didn't mean it. It was just something stupid that Darcy said, and I didn't want to tell you, because, I dunno, I guess I was just embarrassed or whatever..." She got up from her desk chair, and crossed to her bed, where she flopped down and wrapped her arms around her knees. "It's just like you said, on my first night here, when we snuck out to our spot."

"Huh?" Paige blinked. Phoebe sighed loudly, reminding Paige forcibly of a taciturn child who is being forced to do or say something she'd rather not, and steeling herself for it.

"Everyone thinks we're fucking around."

"Oh." Both of them stared at their feet. "Yeah, well, I warned you," Paige said flatly, then turned and opened her Calculus textbook.

"I know you did," Phoebe agreed, squirming, "but I just never thought it would be _everybody..._I thought it would just be a few jerks." The room filled with a tense silence.

"That's not my fault," Paige said quietly.

"I didn't say it was your fucking fault, Paige! Jesus! I get it, okay? Everybody thinks that just because you like girls, you'd like me, but they're just a bunch of stupid assholes cause it's not even true." Angry tears spilled from Phoebe's eyes, while Paige's widened in dumb shock.

"What?"

"I _get_ it, okay? I get that you don't feel that way about me. I just don't like having it rubbed in my face all the time, is that so hard to understand?"

"Phoebe..." Paige shook her head, a smile suddenly emerging, and actually laughed, realizing a second too late that it was the wrong thing to do. With an expression of absolute, furious outrage, Phoebe leapt to her feet and bolted from the room. "Phoebe, wait a sec!" Paige jumped up after her, but Phoebe pulled her desk chair out in front of her as she went, blocking Paige's path. It made only a few seconds' difference, but it meant that when Paige got to the door, she couldn't see which way Phoebe had gone down the short corridor. She sighed. She wasn't about to start chasing her roommate out of the building in her slippers...as if there wasn't enough fuel on that rumor-mill already. Besides which, Paige had a pretty good idea where Phoebe was headed. She turned back into her room to find her shoes and socks.

"Phoebe?" Paige called tentatively across the clearing. "Phoebe, please come out and talk to me! Come on, you can't avoid me forever, we sleep five feet apart! ...Phoebe!" She circled the moonlit knoll exasperatedly, straining her eyes for any hint of something other than a tree in the dark, and wishing she'd thought to bring a flashlight. She was just beginning to think she'd been wrong about where her roommate was going, when her eyes fell on the equipment shed, and her eyebrow shot up. She marched up to it and tried the door, but it didn't budge. Was it locked, or just rusted shut from years of weather? "Phoebe," she called exasperatedly, "I know you're in there. Will you please, please come out and talk?" She waited, feeling sure she was right this time. For a few moments there was only the chirping of crickets; then Paige distinctly heard a stifled _Huh-chshh! _from inside the shed. "Sweetie, please come out," she said gently, no longer commanding but asking.

"Leave me alone," Phoebe mumbled in a broken, defeated voice.

"If that's what you really want, I will, but not until after you come out here and listen to what I have to say, okay?" Paige waited for a reply, but all she got was another poorly muffled sneeze. "You're breathing in, like, a hundred years' worth of dust in there, you know," she added pointedly.

Finally, the heavy door slid open, and Phoebe stepped out, her cheeks wet with tears and flushed pink. She was sniffling and wiping angrily at her eyes. Paige gulped, and opened her mouth to speak; but Phoebe looked like she had one more sneeze in her, so Paige waited patiently for a few moments, until Phoebe took a sharp breath and cupped her hands over her face, with a final _Ehshoo! _She blinked furiously and wiped her nose roughly on the back of her sleeve.

"Bless you." Paige was grinning gently. Phoebe just stared at her, hurt, angry and bewildered. And, again, incredibly, Paige smiled. "You are so fucking beautiful, I can't stand it sometimes."

"What?" Phoebe blinked.

"You got it all wrong, baby girl," Paige said quietly, dropping to her knees in front of Phoebe and sitting on her heels. She took Phoebe's hands and squeezed them hard. "About me...not wanting you. I thought you were the one who...I mean you never said..." She stopped, swallowing hard to curtail her rambling. "If I thought I had a chance in hell, I would've..." she sighed. "I would've done this." In one smooth movement, Paige rose, grabbed Phoebe by the back of her neck, and kissed her. Phoebe was so shocked, she didn't respond immediately; a second later, she melted into Paige's arms. The kiss was urgent, full of pent-up desire and frustration as legs entwined and fingers raked over smooth skin. Paige backed Phoebe up against the side of the shed, holding her face firmly in both hands as she kissed her deeply, swallowing the younger girl's moan as she pressed her leg hard between Phoebe's. Then she began eagerly attacking Phoebe's exposed throat with tongue and teeth.

"Ohhhh, oh God, Paige...can't believe this is happening..." Phoebe gasped out, quivering as she pressed herself more firmly against the length of Paige's body.

"I've wanted to do this since the first time I saw you," Paige panted back, rubbing against Phoebe like a cat and running both hands up her back under her shirt. "You're so amazing, Phoebe..." Their lips met again, tongues devouring each other, and the creaky old shed gave an ominous groan. Phoebe giggled into Paige's mouth. "Come here," Paige murmured, pulling Phoebe away from the rough shed wall and down into the grass. She pinned both of Phoebe's arms to the ground, her hair falling around her face in a shining curtain as they stared at each other for a moment, both of them relishing the bruised feeling in their lips and the heat in their bellies.

"Since the first time you saw me?" Phoebe asked softly, smiling shyly. Paige nodded. "Kiss me." Paige happily obliged, releasing Phoebe's wrists, which gave the girl pinned to the ground the chance to slip her hands up under Paige's shirt, running up her sides, her back, through her hair. Paige made a soft noise of pleasure and bit down lightly on Phoebe's lower lip, which made Phoebe arch up into her as if by remote control.

"I want to devour you," Paige murmured, raking her teeth over Phoebe's ear and sucking lightly on her earlobe.

"Holy fucking God," Phoebe gasped, heart thumping fit to burst. "That feels so good, Paige..."

"I want you to feel good," Paige whispered in her ear, echoing Phoebe's words from the night before-- had it been only one day? Phoebe shifted her head for another kiss when Paige suddenly clamped one hand over her mouth, her entire body stilling. _"Shhh," _she whispered. Phoebe did, without argument. Slowly the sound of footsteps echoed through the clearing, accompanied by the faint rise and fall of voices. "Shit," Paige muttered, and rolled off of Phoebe, pulling them both to their feet and scurrying for the shed, crouched low. They darted inside, Paige pulling the door closed as quietly as she could and bolting it. They crawled to the small, dirt-encrusted window and peered out across the clearing, where sure enough, three figures were visible in the moonlight.

"This is stupid," one of the girls said, her voice unnervingly close. "Why the fuck are we out here?"

"I told you, I saw them both running out here like bats out of hell," said another voice that Phoebe immediately recognized as the alpha-bitch, Jenna Hamilton. "I want to catch Mattie the queer slut in a less-than-presidential position...and I've got my camera phone." Phoebe was sure she could hear the cruel smile in the girl's voice. They hadn't looked directly toward the shed yet...and if they didn't know it was there, they might not even notice...

"Aw, c'mon Jenna," said a third voice, "I really don't give a fuck if..." But then Paige and Phoebe were both distracted from the voices outside by Phoebe's sudden deep breath, her mouth falling open and her eyebrows knitting together with an expectant expression.

"Are you _kidding_ me?" Paige hissed exasperatedly. Phoebe sniffed quietly and squeezed her eyes shut, which served to clearly answer _no_. Paige glanced back out the window, then back at Phoebe, who was breathing in sharp little bursts. Rolling her eyes, she clamped her hand over Phoebe's nose and mouth, muffling her sneeze to a quiet _K'shhh! _Paige didn't move her hand right away, peering out the window and listening hard. Silence. Finally, Phoebe wrenched away, panting slightly.

"I couldn't breathe, dammit," she groused, wiping her nose on her sleeve again. Paige raised her eyebrows, and held up her dripping hand.

"Well you got your revenge, didn't you?" She said with a snort, wiping her hand on Phoebe's skirt. "What am I gonna do with you, Phoebe Halliwell?"

"Anything you want," Phoebe said shyly. A huge, dopey smile broke out on Paige's face.

"Okay, I think they're gone...let's get out of here, before I get slimed again." Phoebe smacked her shoulder, but followed her out of the shed.


	5. Chapter 5

Hey everybody!

Christphern & hotcutii--

yeah, you're totally supposed to hate Jenna; I see my evil plan is working. she's like the draco malfoy of this world. glad to see that's clear.

twin who likes to travel--

I understand your point of view, but just to be clear: I did not put drugs in their hands because they're rock musicians; I put drugs in their hands because they're teenagers. I am well aware that not all teenagers do drugs, but this is my story, and in my particular experience of adolescence, there were a lot of drugs. there were also a lot of academic honors and achievements (notice that I made paige president of the student council, too!) if that offends you, I'm sorry. I'm just being true to my own life experience.

powerof4--

you MUST see doom generation. imagine grindhouse as part II of a series; then imagine doom generation as part I. go now!!!

**Plaid Skirts**

**Chapter 5**

**By JewWitch**

Phoebe felt like her stomach was full of wriggling worms as Paige took her hand and led her back through the woods, toward their dorm. She felt excited and anxious all at once, the realization suddenly hitting her that they were going back to their room...their room where they would be alone together all night. And it suddenly occurred to her why Darcy had told her hooking up with your roommate was a bad idea. It was almost too much freedom, and Phoebe wasn't sure she was ready for it. She'd had sex before; not with girls, it was true, but that wasn't what bothered her-- the truth was, Phoebe had never had sex with anyone she'd really loved.

And Phoebe loved Paige; that was one thing she wasn't confused about, even if she was still too scared to say it. But it made her feel vulnerable, this quivering, all-encompassing tenderness that coursed through her for the girl who held her hand so gently, grazing her thumb over the back of Phoebe's knuckles with an explosion of warmth unlike anything she'd ever experienced before. And that was terrifying, because now Phoebe didn't know what rules applied to them. What was Paige expecting from her? Could she swallow her fear and go all the way, right now, if that was what Paige wanted? She coughed nervously, and Paige turned and smiled at her. The tightness in her chest loosened slightly. They climbed the trellis silently, and crawled through their window without attracting any attention. Phoebe got in first, then turned to give Paige her hand, something they'd done a dozen times or more in the few short weeks they'd been roommates; but now the contact gave Phoebe's stomach a jolt like a live wire. It was a good feeling, and yet she stood frozen like a deer in headlights.

"Hey," Paige said softly, when they both stood in the middle of the darkened room, leaning forward so their foreheads touched.

"Hey," Phoebe said back. Her voice came out oddly squeaky. Paige leaned back and cocked her head.

"Are you okay, sweetie?"

"Uh-huh," Phoebe swallowed. Paige raised an eyebrow.

"Phoebe, please don't shut me out. That's how we got all our wires crossed in the first place, remember? You can tell me anything, baby, anything you're feeling. Please just talk to me." Paige caressed Phoebe's cheek, and tucked a stray lock of hair back behind her ear. Phoebe put her hand over Paige's, and laced their fingers together.

"I think I'm scared," Phoebe admitted in a small voice.

"Oh, baby..." Paige's eyes softened, and she leaned forward and kissed Phoebe's forehead. "You don't have to be scared, I swear I won't hurt you. And I don't want you to do anything you're not ready for; not tonight, not ever. We can go as slow as you want, okay?" Phoebe nodded, grinning weakly as the tight feeling in her chest began to relax. Paige wrapped her arms around Phoebe's slight frame, and they stood motionless in the middle of the dark room for a few long moments, eyes closed, just feeling each other's heartbeats. Phoebe's insides had stopped squirming, though she still felt tingly. She yawned. "Sleepy?" Paige murmured.

"Uh-huh," Phoebe mumbled, eyes still closed. After a slight pause, she screwed up her courage, and asked, "Paigey...will you sleep with me tonight? Just sleep?"

"Sure, baby," Paige grinned, kissing her lightly on the lips. Phoebe grinned back widely. They both stripped down to t-shirts and underwear, and Phoebe went and got her pillow, bringing it over to Paige's bed, where she crawled under the covers and stretched out with a sigh of contentment. "Here," Paige said, handing her a glass of water and shaking two small pink pills into her hand.

"What's this?"

"Just some Benadryl," Paige said, crawling into bed next to Phoebe so their legs touched, sending another delicious jolt through both of them. "You've been all sniffly ever since we left the shed." Phoebe blinked, feeling a smile creep onto her face. It was true that she'd been sniffling a little; her nose had felt itchy and irksome ever since her dust-induced sneezes in the shed, but with everything else going on, she'd decided to just ignore it. She liked the fact that Paige was paying attention to her needs, though, even more than she was herself; it reminded her that this wasn't just going to be about sex.

"Thanks," she said shyly, taking the pills and swallowing them. "I think I like you taking care of me."

"Right back atcha, miss breakfast-in-bed." They grinned at each other.

"You know," Phoebe said slowly, reaching out to stroke Paige's stomach, "we don't have to go _right_ to sleep..." They leaned into each other, a gentle, unhurried kiss, different from the urgent kisses they'd shared in the woods. They took their time tasting each other, neither in any hurry to get anywhere. Phoebe pushed Paige onto her back and ran a hand up under her shirt, over ribs and bellybutton, and gently cupped a breast in her palm. Paige whimpered. Emboldened, Phoebe began exploring the new terrain, feeling Paige's nipple harden into a tight nub against the flat of her palm.

"Oh, God, Phoebe," Paige gasped, arching her back with a moan of longing. Her hips pressed up into Phoebe's, making them both hungry for more contact.

"Is this okay?" Phoebe whispered, pulling on the fabric of Paige's t-shirt. Paige nodded breathlessly, sitting up to tug it off more quickly. The moonlight made her pale skin seem to glow, and Phoebe felt her eyes fill with tears as she gazed at the sight before her. Paige's breasts weren't particularly large, but they weren't small either; they were just right, full and pert, with small pink nipples hard with arousal.

"Beautiful," Phoebe murmured, reaching out to caress the smooth flesh with the pads of her fingers. "You are so beautiful, Paige..." She leaned down and kissed one, keeping her hand busy playing with the other; she felt Paige's hands threading into her hair, encouraging her as she licked and nibbled on the tight little nipple.

"Oh!" Paige squealed, biting down on her lip to keep from making too much noise; neither of them could forget that there were sleeping students on either side of the thin walls. "Jesus, Phoebe, you feel so good..." Phoebe silently agreed; she felt better than she had ever felt in her entire life.


	6. Chapter 6

Hey Peeps!

I am really setting an unattainable standard for myself with these daily updates...just don't get used to it, because it can't possibly last much longer. For now, enjoy!

**Note on Ratings**: I am feeling rather conflicted about whether this story should be rated T or M; on the one hand, there is some pretty graphic sexual material in here, but on the other hand, it's nothing I didn't do in high school myself, so who am I to say teenagers shouldn't read it? Decide for yourself I guess...

Christphern-- once again, you read everything I write exactly as I intend it. You are like my perfect reader! You get a cookie.

SEAGUL-- if you read this chapter closely, you will see some foreshadowing of the thing you're looking for...

**Plaid Skirts**

**Chapter 6**

**By JewWitch**

Phoebe sat in her seat at morning assembly with her head in her hand, gazing up at the stage where Paige was reading the morning announcements. Three days a week she did this, while on the other two, they didn't meet for school-wide assemblies, but got their announcements in homeroom. Paige wasn't the only one on the stage of course; lots of students and teachers had reasons to be up there making last-minute announcements, or performing goofy skits to plug the next dance with Saint Michael's. And of course the headmaster, a kindly old man with a trim gray beard who Phoebe genuinely liked, and who had the habit of reading aloud a poem every day before dismissing them. Sometimes it was a Shakespearean sonnet; other times it could be Langston Hughes or e.e. cummings, which was Phoebe's favorite.

But right now Paige was the one talking, looking so crisp, alert and full of life, Phoebe felt sure no one could suspect she'd had less than two hours of sleep the night before. They hadn't even realized that late had become early until the birds began to twitter outside their window, and the pale blue glow of the moon turned to murky grey pre-dawn light. They'd passed the whole night eagerly exploring each other's bodies, mapping out warm flesh with tongues and nimble fingers. When they got too wound up, they stopped, sharing a cigarette and gazing out at the stars, teasing each other with their toes while they both suffered the delicious agony of desire built up without release.

Phoebe thought of this now as she stared up at Paige with drowsy, adoring eyes, and her stomach flooded with heat. She thought of how it felt when Paige had sucked each of her fingers into her mouth in turn, and the hot flood in her stomach veered sharply south, making Phoebe squirm in her seat as her skin tingled. She was never going to make it through the day; it was only 8:15, and her underwear already felt soaking wet. It was as if Paige had flipped a switch that Phoebe didn't even know she had, sending her into a state of perpetual arousal, making it hard for her to concentrate on anything else. Her eyes followed the curve of Paige's calf below her pleated skirt, then ran up to the flash of her throat as she spoke, her shining brown eyes, her glossy black hair which fell in two thick braids today, behind her ears. She was the most beautiful thing Phoebe had ever laid eyes on; she was the one everyone else in the room wanted, or wanted to be. And Phoebe was the one who knew how her skin tasted, where to touch her to make her arch her back or growl like a wild animal. No one else.

There was no bell for assembly, so it took being jostled by the 300 moving bodies around her to tell Phoebe that it was over. She blinked, and yawned, following the pack without much thought or intention. She was so sleepy and dreamy, full of thoughts of the night before, that she walked into a chair and almost fell flat on her face.

"Phoebe! Are you sick or something? You better snap out of it before we get our French test," her friend Jodie said with a frown as she gripped Phoebe's arm under the elbow, pulling her back to her feet.

"Uh-huh," Phoebe said, her eyes still locked on the stage, where Paige was gathering her backpack from behind the podium. She looked up, saw Phoebe watching her, and smiled, making Phoebe's smile even wider. Then Phoebe bumped into Jodie and stepped on her foot.

She waited by the stairs until Paige came down and met her, by which time they were the only ones left in the hall. Up close, Phoebe realized that her roommate looked almost as tired as she did, though she was still smiling goofily. Phoebe also noticed something else up close that, incredibly, had escaped her attention before.

"Did I do that?" She gasped, reaching out to touch a mottled purple bruise on Paige's neck, which was, thank God, mostly hidden by her collar. Phoebe knew she ought to be embarrassed; but instead, she giggled.

"Do what?" Paige asked, her fingers flying up to cover Phoebe's, as if she could use them to see her own neck. Phoebe couldn't stop giggling. "Did you give me a hickey, doofus?"

"Oh, man," Phoebe laughed. "Oh, shit, I'm sorry Paigey..." But she didn't look very sorry. Paige didn't look very sorry, either, as she glanced quickly around the empty hall, and kissed Phoebe swiftly on the lips.

"I'm not," she said coyly. Phoebe felt her pulse throb between her legs. She wanted to jump on Paige, but she knew she couldn't, not in the middle of Porter Hall when anyone could walk in, and besides, they had classes to get to. Instead, she held out her hand, and Paige took it, biting her lip with a sexy grin, and they walked out together. Though they hadn't yet talked about it, they were both silently elated that the other one wasn't afraid to do this. Phoebe daydreamed about bringing Paige home for spring break next month, which she had intended to do anyway, but which now offered a lot more side benefits...like the possibility that they could sneak into the shower together, or even better, go out to a queer club in the Castro where they could be all over each other, and no one would care.

"Wanna skip lunch?" She asked impishly as they parted for their classes.

"Phoebe Halliwell, you are the devil," Paige said with a shake of her head, though her grin was a mile wide. Phoebe just raised an eyebrow, as if to say, _and?_

"Yeah, I do," Paige admitted. "But I'm stopping at lunch on the way to get us something...I don't know about you, but I'm planning on working up an appetite." She grinned saucily.

"Oh, and _I'm_ the devil," Phoebe laughed.

She spent the morning in a haze, barely even noticing which class she was in, and several more people-- including a teacher-- asked her if she was feeling all right. The latter voiced with real concern by her French teacher, who stopped her on the way out of class and gently pointed out that she'd reversed the directions and written everything, not in the future tense on which they were being tested, but the past imperfect. Mr. Greyson offered her the chance to do it over during study hall, assuring her that he knew she could do it properly, and suggesting that perhaps she should stop by the nurse's office to make sure she wasn't running a fever. Phoebe bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing.

When the lunch bell rang, Phoebe made a bee-line for her room, and got there before Paige, which made sense since Paige had said she was stopping for food first. Phoebe took the opportunity to freshen up and brush her teeth, and was just debating whether she had time to change into something a little more interesting than her uniform, when Paige bounced in and threw her backpack on the floor.

"Hey, beautiful," she purred, and Phoebe felt her face go hot. _I've got a fever, all right,_ she thought to herself as her skin tingled all over again. "How was your morning? Mine was pure torture." Phoebe held up her botched French test. Paige looked at it blankly for a moment; then she realized what was wrong with it, and laughed, clapping a hand over her mouth. "Oh, Phoebe-- it's not funny, I really shouldn't laugh--"

"It's okay, I'm doing it over during study hall," Phoebe said dismissively, dropping it onto her desk, and wrapping her arms around Paige's neck. "I was so spaced out, Mr. Greyson thought I was coming down with the flu or something." Paige shook her head, and made a _tut-tut _noise with her tongue.

"Well we're going to have to get more sleep tonight, that's all," she shrugged. Phoebe looked up at her with an impish smirk.

"It wasn't because I was tired."

"Oh no?" Paige raised her eyebrow.

"No," Phoebe shook her head. "It was because I couldn't stop thinking about you sucking on my fingers." This time Paige blushed, though she looked quite pleased with herself.

"You like that, huh?" Phoebe nodded, and leaned up on her toes to kiss Paige hungrily. Paige kissed her back enthusiastically, backing her up until the back of her legs hit Paige's bed, and they both flopped down eagerly. Paige climbed on top of Phoebe and began unbuttoning her shirt without interrupting the kiss, and managed to push it open without bothering to undo her school tie. She trailed her nails over Phoebe's breasts through her lacy, ivory-colored bra, and Phoebe cried out. "Shh, baby, we gotta be quiet," Paige whispered against her lips, and Phoebe nodded breathlessly.

"I'll try," Phoebe panted. Paige grinned evilly.

"If you feel like screaming...just bite me instead."

"Bite you?" Phoebe blinked, momentarily nonplussed.

"Yeah," Paige continued to grin enthusiastically. "Just try to not to leave any visible marks above the neckline this time." Phoebe smacked her on the back of her thigh. Paige growled happily.

"You like it rough, huh tough girl?"

"Sometimes," Paige said shyly. Reaching up, Phoebe pulled Paige down by the back of the neck and kissed her again, sucking on her bottom lip as Paige leaned on one elbow to undo the front-clasp of Phoebe's bra. Then the soft, delicious lip was pulled out of Phoebe's mouth, as Paige leaned down and began licking and nibbling her bare breasts. Phoebe gasped, somehow managing to keep quiet, and grabbed one of Paige's arms, pulling it close and biting down-- not too hard-- on her wrist. Paige arched against her and sucked a nipple into her mouth, flicking it with her tongue, and Phoebe clamped down even harder, with a tiny, keening groan of ecstasy. She pushed her leg up hard between Paige's, realizing with a jolt that she wasn't the only one who'd spent the whole morning in a state of perpetual wetness. She still wasn't ready to break her self-imposed underwear rule, but she couldn't stop herself from working her leg a little, feeling Paige writhe above her with a spasm of delight.

_"Fuck," _Paige panted against Phoebe's exposed flesh, slicked with saliva so the air felt cool and teasing. Phoebe didn't stop, she couldn't, especially after she felt Paige pushing back against her, the heat of their inner thighs combining to form an almost magnetic force, pulling them into each other until Phoebe felt herself plunging over the brink, shivering and gasping with a strangled cry as her whole body stilled, back arched off the bed. Then she went limp, and Paige collapsed against her, both of them panting.

"Did you...?" Paige murmured, lifting her head to give Phoebe an inquiring look.

"Uh-huh," Phoebe nodded, grinning shyly as she reached up to push a sweat-slicked lock of hair back behind Paige's ear. "You?"

"Yeah," Paige smiled shyly back. She leaned her forehead down, and they shared a soft, gentle kiss. They re-settled themselves slightly, so Paige was on her side with one arm and leg thrown over Phoebe, and within two minutes, both of them were asleep. They didn't get much of a nap, though, as fifteen minutes later Paige's cell phone began to trill in her bag. It wasn't the ringtone, but the sound it made when the alarm was set. Phoebe vaguely heard it, but ignored it; and after a minute, it stopped. When it did, Paige sighed and began tracing her fingers over Phoebe's exposed torso.

"Uhhhhh..." Phoebe groaned, shifting to bury her face in Paige's hair.

"Time to wake up, baby girl," Paige cooed, rubbing Phoebe's stomach gently.

"No up," Phoebe mumbled drowsily. "More sleep."

"C'mon honey, you need to wake up and eat something before class." Phoebe made a small sound of protest; but she _was_ hungry. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes, blinking a few times to clear the bleariness. Paige was beaming at her, and leaned in close to kiss the end of her nose. "You are so cute when you're waking up."

"Oh yeah?" Paige nodded. Phoebe grinned delightedly. "When else am I so cute?"

"Hmmm..." Paige made a show of pondering this, while she reached across Phoebe to her desk and grabbed the bag lunch she'd made up in the dining hall. "When you're reading, and you kind of hold your head sideways..." She sat up and demonstrated. Phoebe giggled. "And then you chew on your lip..." She did that too, then pulled out a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and handed it to Phoebe.

"Thanks," Phoebe grinned, taking a large bite. Paige pulled out a second PB&J and munched thoughtfully.

"And when you're whaling on your drums and looking all intense, that's pretty damn cute..." Phoebe smiled, and put a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing while she chewed. "And right before you sneeze, when you get this little wrinkle right between your eyes," she reached out and rubbed the spot with her thumb, "like you just remembered something really important..." Phoebe laughed, thankfully not with food in her mouth, and hit Paige on the arm.

"Doofus," she giggled, slightly embarrassed, but pleased that Paige had taken the time to study her so closely, in so many mundane moments. "You're pretty cute too, you know." Paige blushed. They finished their lunch quickly, and rearranged themselves as best they could in the few remaining minutes of break, stealing last-minute kisses as they buttoned their shirts and straightened their ties. They both felt a pang of regret when the bell rang for afternoon lessons, forcing them to re-enter the world outside their dorm room.

"Now go redo your French test," Paige grinned, "and don't forget what tense you're in, okay?" Phoebe stuck out her tongue. Paige winked, and shouldered her backpack, reaching for the door.

"Paige?"

"Hmm?"

"You're the cherry on my ice cream sundae." Paige blinked, dropped her backpack, and kissed Phoebe one more time, deeply and thoroughly.

"I am so completely and totally yours, Phoebe Halliwell."


	7. Chapter 7

Plaid Skirts

Chapter 7

By JewWitch

There was no sound but chirping crickets as Paige lay staring out the window at the darkened sky. She sighed, and pulled Phoebe's sleeping body a little closer under the covers. Phoebe murmured something incoherent, shifted her head against Paige's shoulder, and began to snore very slightly. Paige grinned despite herself, feeling the nervous twisting in her stomach ease, but not much. She had woken from an anxious nightmare of being lost in the middle of a desert wasteland, and against her better judgment, looked over at the clock, seeing that it was past 3am. That was over an hour ago. The more she told herself she had to go back to sleep, the more impossible it became; she was too nervous about meeting Phoebe's family in a few short hours to relax and join her girlfriend in sleep.

The girlfriend in question whimpered softly then, and curled up against Paige unconsciously, her knees pulling in to her stomach. Paige snuck her hand around and rubbed the small of Phoebe's back, hoping that at least one of them could get a good night's sleep. But Phoebe continued to squirm, mumbling unintelligibly in her sleep.

"Shhh, baby girl," Paige whispered, kissing the top of Phoebe's head and holding her close. "I've got you." She kept rubbing Phoebe's back, and after a few minutes, the restless girl relaxed, and her breathing evened out again. Paige smiled. She was just starting to drift off when Phoebe sat bolt upright in bed with a strangled gasp, her eyes flying open, arms wrapped around her stomach.

"What is it, sweetie? Did you have a bad dream?" Paige asked quietly, sitting up and running her fingers through Phoebe's messy hair.

"Oh..." Phoebe groaned, blinking and rubbing her eyes. "Wasn't a dream..." She bent forward with a pained whimper. And in a flash, Paige understood.

"Cramps?" Phoebe nodded, and Paige could tell by the shallow way she was breathing and the tiny whimpers that were coming from her, that she was trying hard not to cry. Paige pulled her close and kissed her forehead, which was damp with cold sweat. "Hold on a sec, baby, I'll get something to make it better." Paige crawled out of bed and was back almost instantly, holding out her hand to her trembling girlfriend. "Here."

"Is that one of your migraine pills?" Phoebe frowned, rubbing her eyes groggily. Her voice was rough and sleepy as she blinked in the darkness.

"Just a half," Paige assured her, holding her hand out in a thin shaft of moonlight for Phoebe to see. Phoebe was silent for a moment. Part of her felt it wasn't a very good idea to take someone else's medication, especially something as strong as this; but it was only half a pill, after all, and Paige usually took them two at a time. A sharp stab of pain made Phoebe's mind up for her, and she took it.

"Thanks," she whispered when she'd swallowed it.

"Just try to relax," Paige hummed, pulling Phoebe down against her, her own late-night nerves completely forgotten. Phoebe lay down on her side and Paige wrapped her arms around the sniffling girl's waist, her hands slipping down over Phoebe's stomach in slow, soothing circles. Despite her best efforts, Phoebe started to cry quietly. Paige kissed the back of her neck, and said nothing for a few moments. Then she cleared her throat and began to sing softly, her fingers dipping inside Phoebe's silky underwear just a little as she continued the soothing massage. Phoebe pressed one hand over Paige's, as a warm, fuzzy feeling blossomed inside her, making everything slightly numb around the edges.

"Whoa," Phoebe mumbled, as her entire body relaxed. "That was fast..."

"Uh-huh," Paige nodded, planting a few more kisses on the smooth skin of Phoebe's neck and shoulders. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah," Phoebe nodded, as the sharp, stabbing pain in her gut began to recede, leaving behind a dull ache and a blurry feeling of contentment. She felt safe and warm in Paige's arms, and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I love you, you know."

"I know," Paige whispered, squeezing back. "I love you too, so much..." Phoebe rolled over and wrapped her arms around Paige's neck, and they shared a soft, sleepy kiss.

"I can't wait for tomorrow," Phoebe murmured, nestling her head against Paige's neck, and falling back to sleep, her pain already a distant memory. Paige sighed, and stared up at the ceiling, running her fingers through Phoebe's soft hair absently. It was going to be along night.

"Will you stop twitching, and eat something already?" Phoebe prodded Paige's cereal. "You're making me nervous."

_"I'm _making _you_ nervous?" Paige repeated incredulously. "What the hell do you have to be nervous about? They already like you."

"Oh, Jesus, just relax! My family is going to adore you, Paigey, just like I do." Paige raised one eyebrow severely. "Okay, hopefully not _exactly_ like I do..." Paige groaned, and pushed her cereal away, leaning forward with her head in her hands.

"You're not gonna hurl on the table, are you?" Darcy sat down on Paige's other side, balancing a plate of eggs and waffles and a very full cup of coffee. "Cause if you are I'll go sit somewhere else."

"Fuck off, assface," Paige whined, the sting of her words dampened by the pathetic tone of voice and the fact that this was how the two of them almost always spoke to each other.

"Hey, are you okay Paige?" Darcy frowned. "I was just kidding around, but you really do look sick. I mean, I've seen goth girls with more color in their cheeks."

"She's just torturing herself," Phoebe sighed, reaching out and rubbing Paige's back with her free hand. "I keep telling her there's nothing to worry about, but it's not getting through."

"Oh," Darcy blinked. Deciding that now was not the best time to ask her two friends when they were going to stop pretending they weren't majorly into each other, she simply pushed her coffee in front of Paige and patted her shoulder bracingly. "Ease up, P, you're every parent's wet dream. Straight A's, student council president, blah blah blah...even my corporate asshole dad said you're a good influence, remember? You got the open invite to come back to our chateau anytime, you know." Paige smiled weakly, and took a sip of the hot coffee.

"Thanks, Darce," she sighed. "I just wish I could relax."

"Well I know one way we could accomplish that," Darcy waggled her eyebrows suggestively. "You girls busy after breakfast?"

"Uh-uh, no way," Paige shook her head. "I am not gonna meet Phoebe's grandmother for the first time stoned, thanks very much...I'm nervous enough when I can remember my own name without laughing."

"Suit yourself," Darcy shrugged, taking a bite of her waffle. Paige groaned and turned away.

"Baby, you have got to eat something," Phoebe begged, completely unaware and unselfconscious of her words and behavior. In her heart, Phoebe wanted the whole _world_ to know Paige was her girlfriend; it was very hard to stop herself from talking, and acting, like someone in love. "You'll be nauseous all day if you don't, and it's a long drive up to San Francisco." She took a cranberry muffin off her plate and cut it in half. Paige eyed it miserably. Phoebe smiled encouragingly, and held Paige's face in her hands, leaning forward to kiss her forehead. "It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, anyway," she murmured, so only Paige could hear. "I adore you, sweet girl, and nobody and nothing on this earth is going to change that." Paige's eyes finally met Phoebe's, a smile creeping over her face as a warm pink blush colored her cheeks.

"The things you say," she sighed, shaking her head. Then she took half of the muffin off of Phoebe's plate, and took a bite. "Happy now?"

"I'm ecstatic," Phoebe grinned cheekily.

The rest of the morning passed agonizingly slowly, as students and their parents milled around the dorms with suitcases and laundry baskets, shouts and laughter and excitement everywhere. Phoebe became more anxious by the hour, leaping off her bed every few minutes to look out the window at the line of cars in the courtyard, trying to find her sister's Jeep Cherokee in the crowd.

"Will you cut it out? You're making me dizzy," Paige complained, lying on her bed with her feet propped up on the pillows, playing her guitar and staring up at the ceiling.

"Sorry," Phoebe murmured, and sat down contritely at her desk, crossing her legs and folding her arms over her chest. Paige glanced over at her, and felt immediately guilty.

"No, don't be sorry...I'm the one who's acting like a tool." She stood up and put the guitar aside, and began pacing restlessly. "I wish I could just fucking relax!"

"I think I might be able to help you with that," Phoebe grinned impishly, getting up and wrapping herself around Paige's tense body.

"I'll just bet you can," Paige grinned back rakishly, relaxing as she wound her arms around Phoebe's waist, feeling the warmth of her breath at close range. She let Phoebe back her up against the wall, as they melted into a long, deep kiss, sharing the flavor of muffins and coffee still on their tongues.

"Mmm...Phoebe..." Paige panted, coming up for air, "your sisters could be here any...ohhh..." Phoebe had just sucked her girlfriend's earlobe into her mouth. "...any minute," she finished.

"Who cares?" Phoebe mumbled, raking her nails up Paige's leg under her skirt.

"Phoebe!"

"Sorry," Phoebe broke away, looking sheepish, and ran to the door, turning the lock with a satisfying _thunk_. Paige raised one eyebrow.

"And what will you say when they ask why the door was locked in the middle of the day when we're both here?"

"I'll tell them it was because I couldn't keep my hands off you," Phoebe said unabashedly, crossing the room again and leaning up against Paige, holding her hands against the wall. Paige swallowed, her resistance immediately gone. Phoebe leaned up and kissed her hard, letting go of her hands to dig her fingers into Paige's thick hair. Paige arched her back, pushing away from the wall and into Phoebe, who was pushing back. Paige could feel the hard in and out of their breathing against each other's ribs, and suddenly she wanted-- no, needed-- to feel the bare skin of Phoebe's stomach against hers. But they weren't wearing their uniforms today; it was officially spring break, and Phoebe was wearing a tank top that did _not _have any buttons. Paige growled impatiently as she broke the kiss, and pulled Phoebe's top over her head, Phoebe holding up her arms to help. Then Paige pulled off her own shirt, feeling Phoebe's hands on her before she'd even finished getting it over her head. They both made a low, growling sound of pleasure when their lips met again, and their bodies entwined. Phoebe felt Paige's bellybutton just above hers, and pressed against her hard, whimpering. Paige's hand went for the clasp on Phoebe's bra.

"Phoebe, are you in there?" A loud knock on the door made them both jump, and Phoebe backed away so suddenly that she tripped over her own feet and fell on her butt. Paige gave a small snort of laughter, then clapped her hand over her mouth.

"Just a sec!" Phoebe hollered, looking around for where her shirt had landed, and seeing it over her desk chair. She grabbed it and quickly pulled it on, while Paige did the same, and it really wasn't more than fifteen or twenty seconds before she had the door open.

"Piper!" she shouted happily, throwing herself into her big sister's arms.

"Hey, ladybug," Piper grinned, hugging her tight and kissing her hair.

"I'm so happy to see you," Phoebe gushed, looking up and grinning like a little kid.

"Me too, Pheebs..." Piper peered at her sister, and frowned. "You're all flushed, sweetie. Are you sick?" Without waiting for an answer, she laid her hand against Phoebe's cheek, then her forehead.

"I'm fine, Piper, really. Just excited," Phoebe smiled innocently.

"Well, if you're sure...why was the door locked?"

"Huh?" Phoebe's face drained of color as Piper blinked politely, a quizzical expression on her freckled face. "Oh, it was-- I was just-- changing. People around here are always just barging in, you know." She made a brave attempt at saying this casually.

"Yeah, college isn't much different," Piper shrugged, surprised at her sister's sudden display of modesty; she had certainly never had any at home. Then again, that was different. They were sisters. "You might as well get used to it," she added. Phoebe and Paige looked at each other across the room, and immediately looked away again so they wouldn't both start laughing.

"Oh! Piper, this is my roommate, Paige Matthews. Paige, this is my sister Piper."

"It's so great to meet you," Paige exclaimed squeakily, crossing the room to shake Piper's hand. She stood by Phoebe, and they automatically reached for each other's hands, fingers entwining. "I've heard so much about you."

"Likewise," Piper said, observing their entwined hands but thinking nothing of it, as close friends holding hands was nothing so unusual among teenage girls. "You've made quite an impact on my baby sister. I should thank you for getting her on the straight and narrow!" Again both Paige and Phoebe had to bite back their laughter. "Grams says you haven't gotten anything below a B this semester. That true, kiddo?" Phoebe nodded shyly. "That's awesome, Phoebe!"

"She was always smart, she just needed a more stimulating environment," Paige said simply, giving Phoebe's fingers a squeeze. Phoebe grinned shyly again, looking back and forth between her girlfriend and her sister, both of whom were smiling proudly.

"Where's Prue?"

"Parking the car," Piper said. "C'mon, let's go find her." Phoebe pulled Paige's hand excitedly, bouncing down the hall with an unbridled childish enthusiasm that Paige found utterly charming. They strolled across the courtyard, Phoebe talking a mile a minute as she pointed out the various buildings to her sister, explaining which departments were housed where and which teachers were cool. Paige spotted a girl getting out of a weather-beaten green Jeep, black-haired and slightly shorter than herself with piercing blue eyes, who she recognized from Phoebe's many family snapshots. She felt a strange thrill of nervous anticipation as Phoebe released her hand, and ran to her eldest sister, shrieking happily. Though she wasn't more than a couple of inches taller than her baby sister, Prue still managed to pick her up and swing her around once as they hugged each other.

"Prue, you're here!" Phoebe cried happily, pulling her immediately over to Paige and Piper.

"Paigey, this is my oldest sister, Prue. Prue, meet my roommate, Paige Matthews."

"I've heard so much about you," Paige managed to stammer with a nervous smile.

"It's all lies," Prue said with a wink, ruffling Phoebe's hair so that Phoebe pulled away and stuck out her tongue.

A few minutes later they were all in the car, Phoebe and Paige in the back while Prue drove and Piper leaned over the front seat to talk to them, peppering them with questions about life at the prestigious boarding school while they questioned her and Prue about college. The sun was beating down steadily as they made their way up the California coast, opting off of the ugly, congested interstate after a couple of hours in favor of passing through Monterey Bay on the far more scenic Highway 1. The ocean came in and out of view as they wound their way through the mountains of Big Sur, a cool sea breeze blowing into the car through the open windows.

"Remember when we camped here with Andy and his parents when we were little?" Piper asked, gazing out the window happily.

"Yeah," Prue nodded, a wry grin on her face. "Phoebe woke us all up in the middle of the night because she heard the owls hooting, and thought the woogie man had followed her!" The two sisters rolled their eyes at each other with a snort of laughter. "Remember that, Pheebs?" Prue called over the seat. But Phoebe and Paige were both zonked out, fast asleep in their seats with their heads together.

"Aww," Piper grinned softly at the sight. "Prue, look." Prue glanced at the two sleeping girls in the rearview mirror, and chuckled.

"I'm so glad Phoebe's made such good friends at Saint Anne's...I was really worried she'd hate it, and shut everyone out."

"Yeah," Piper nodded thoughtfully, still studying the sleeping figure of her sister, whose hand was curled over Paige's knee unconsciously. "She's really adjusting well."

The jerking of city traffic woke Paige with a start just as they were crossing the Bay Bridge; she blinked groggily for a few minutes without speaking, confused and bleary with the sun shining in her eyes. She shifted, and Phoebe's hand slipped up her leg, bringing her sharply back to herself with a flutter of warmth. She smiled, and turned her face into Phoebe's hair.

"Hmmm," Phoebe mumbled, stretching her legs out with a yawn. "Are we there yet?"

"Almost, sleepyhead," Prue said with a glance over her shoulder. "We're just coming over the polka-dot bridge."

"What?" Paige blinked some more, sure she had misheard Prue's statement over the honking and noise of traffic.

"That's what Phoebe used to call this bridge when she was little," Piper explained, turning in her seat and again observing her sister draped over her roommate like a life-sized teddy bear. "See how the sun comes through, and makes polka-dots on the cars?" Paige looked out at the cars, still not completely awake, and smiled.

"I get it," she yawned, jostling Phoebe. She sun glinted off the car next to them, and right into Phoebe's eyes as she opened them, making her sneeze.

"Bless you," said Paige, Piper and Prue all at once. Phoebe laughed and rubbed her nose.

"Uh, thanks," she yawned, blinking dazedly from her abrupt waking. Paige reached out rubbed the spot right between Phoebe's eyes, and they shared a shy smile. For a moment Phoebe forgot her sisters in the front seat, the bridge and all the cars around them, and even the city itself that she'd missed so much; her whole world was right there in the sun-warmed back seat, and she couldn't help herself-- she leaned in and kissed Paige on the lips. Prue, whose attention was fully commanded by the nerve-wracking rush-hour traffic, didn't see this, but Piper had just glanced at the rearview mirror, about to ask Phoebe and Paige what they wanted to do once they'd all gotten settled in. She'd brushed off the hand-holding, the cuddly sleeping, even the possessive hand on the knee; but she couldn't ignore this.

"Ahem." She turned fully in her seat, raising her eyebrow at the two girls in the back seat expectantly. They looked back at her with petrified, wide-eyed expressions. Phoebe opened and closed her mouth a few times, but no sound came out.

"I hope everyone's hungry, because Grams is making her famous lasagna," Prue said obliviously from behind the wheel. "Do you like Italian, Paige?"

"I, uh...yeah," Paige stammered, her normally pale face flushed scarlet with panic. Phoebe took her hand and held it firmly, looking up at Piper with a mixture of fear, defiance, and brash unconcern. Piper just shook her head, and chuckled incredulously.

"We'll talk later?" She said quietly. Phoebe nodded gratefully. "You too," Piper added to Paige, looking every bit the protective older sister.

"Uh-huh," Paige squeaked, looking terrified and relieved in equal measure.

"All right, then." Piper rolled her eyes affectionately, as the car rolled past Treasure Island and onto solid land. "Welcome to San Francisco, Paige."


	8. Chapter 8

Hey peeps,

thanks for your patience, I know this was a long wait. I just started my summer internship-- woo-hoo! Hope everyone is enjoying the fabulous weather (except for people who live in places like florida...I guess summer doesn't really apply to you). I just pulled my air conditioner out of the closet, and it is sweeeeet. Enjoy the update!

**Plaid Skirts**

**Chapter 8**

**By JewWitch**

"Grams, we're home!" Prue announced, as she lead the way through the back door and into the kitchen, which was warm and pungent with the smell of cooking.

"Oh, my girls, you're all here!" Grams beamed, setting aside a wooden mixing spoon and opening her arms, hugging each of them in turn.

"Thanks for having me, Mrs. Halliwell," Paige said shyly, still standing awkwardly behind Phoebe.

"Nonsense, dear, it's a pleasure," Grams said dismissively, hugging a very surprised Paige just as she had Prue, Piper and Phoebe. "You're welcome here anytime."

"Me too?" Phoebe said plaintively, with only the slightest edge of a whine.

"You too, my little honor student," Grams grinned wryly, patting Phoebe's cheek. Phoebe grinned widely. "Now why don't you all take your things upstairs, and get settled in? We'll eat in an hour. Paige, dear, I don't suppose you'll mind sharing Phoebe's room? It's certainly big enough for two, and we don't have a guest room, I'm afraid."

"That's fine," Paige said quickly, feeling her cheeks go hot, while Phoebe determinedly avoided Piper's glare.

"Uhhh...are you sure you don't need any help down here, Grams?" Phoebe asked squeakily, running to the island and picking up a knife.

"Don't be silly, dear," Grams chuckled, taking the knife and shooing Phoebe toward the stairs. "You've been in the car all afternoon. Go freshen up!" Sharing an uneasy glance, Phoebe and Paige followed Piper and Prue out of the kitchen. The minute they reached the top of the stairs, Prue declared that she was getting in the shower, and Piper jostled Phoebe into her room, poking her in the back to punctuate each word as she hissed under her breath.

"I can't--" poke. "Believe--" poke. "You didn't--" poke. "Tell me!"

"Ow, get off!" Phoebe batted her sister's hand away, and pulled Paige in front of her as she came in, closing the door behind her. Paige looked like she was about to faint. Piper's irate expression immediately softened.

"Paige, it's okay," Piper assured the trembling girl, who was gripping Phoebe's hand so tight that Phoebe yelped.

"Okay," Paige squeaked, eyes still round as dinner plates.

"Breathe, baby," Phoebe murmured, pulling her hand back from Paige's death grip and stroking her stomach. Paige let out the breath she'd been holding. Phoebe smiled, and Paige smiled back sheepishly.

"Okay," she said again, this time in her normal voice.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Piper," Phoebe said sincerely, leaning her head against Paige's shoulder with one hand still resting on her stomach. "I just really wanted you all to get to know Paige first...I, I thought if you could just see how totally amazing she is, it would make it easier." Piper looked at her baby sister, wordlessly observing the way she leaned into the dark-haired girl beside her, how naturally they seemed to gravitate to each other; how they always seemed to find a reason to be touching. She sighed.

"Didn't you think I'd understand?" she asked finally, in a somewhat injured voice. Phoebe shrugged.

"You've never exactly liked any of my boyfriends."

"That's because they were all scumballs."

"Oh yeah." Phoebe grinned awkwardly.

"What about Prue and Grams?" Phoebe's smile faltered.

"Um..." she stammered, stepping away from Paige, who looked back and forth nervously between the two sisters.

"Phoebe, you can't ask me to keep something like this secret!"

"Just for a little while, Piper, please," Phoebe begged, her face going sickly pale. "Just until I find my own way to tell them."

"You'd never expect Grams to let your boyfriend stay over, Phoebe-- how do you think she's going to react when she finds out you're having sex under her roof?"

"We're not," Paige said quietly, chiming in for the first time. Piper raised one eyebrow disbelievingly.

"Not yet," Phoebe added earnestly. "And anyway, we're already sharing a room every other night, so why should this be any different? It really doesn't change anything." Piper pursed her lips, and scowled.

"Only for a little while," she said finally. Phoebe grinned and threw her arms around Piper's neck, kissing her exuberantly on the cheek. "And don't think you're gonna bat your eyelashes out of this one, kiddo," she added sternly. "You're on a deadline."

"Right," Phoebe nodded. Piper leveled her gaze at Paige, who still looked faint with anxiety.

"Now, you." Paige's eyes widened. "Do you love my sister?" Phoebe's mouth dropped open; Piper cocked her head and put her hands on her hips, waiting for an answer. Paige swallowed. She looked over at Phoebe, who looked as nervous as Paige felt.

"Yes," she said quietly, still looking into Phoebe's eyes. Phoebe smiled shyly.

"All right then." Piper folded her arms in a satisfied, resolved sort of way. "Just remember," she added matter-of-factly, "if you hurt her, Prue and I will hunt you down like a dog."

"Piper," Phoebe rolled her eyes. Piper winked and left the room, closing the door with a snap behind her. Paige let out a deep breath and flopped backwards onto the bed with an audible groan.

"I think I just had fifteen consecutive heart attacks. It's probably a world record." Phoebe chuckled sympathetically, and crawled onto the bed next to her, stretching out and wrapping herself around Paige's limp, trembling body.

"You did great, baby," Phoebe said soothingly, running her fingers through Paige's hair. Paige snorted.

"Were you somewhere else just now?" Phoebe grinned wryly, rolled on top of Paige, and kissed her. But instead of relaxing into the kiss, Paige's entire body tensed. "You know that door doesn't even have a lock."

"Uh-huh," Phoebe mumbled against Paige's throat, sneaking a hand up her shirt.

"Phoebe, I'm serious," Paige said uncomfortably, squirming away from her girlfriend's eager mouth and fingers. "What if your grandmother walks in?"

"She won't, she's cooking," Phoebe murmured, her voice muffled against Paige's skin. "C'mon, baby, we've still got almost an hour till dinner..."

"Stop it!" Paige sat up and pushed Phoebe away. "Is it too much to ask you to act your age for five damn minutes? But I guess that wouldn't make any difference anyway."

"You're like nine months older than me, Paige," Phoebe pointed out wryly.

"Well maybe age isn't the same as maturity," Paige said coldly. Phoebe sat back, looking stung.

"Why are you being such a jerk?"

"Me?" Paige snorted. "Your sister just finished giving me the third degree, and you think that's gonna put me in the mood to--"

"That's not what she was doing," Phoebe said defensively. "She's just a little protective of me, that's all."

"Okay, whatever, I got the message." Paige stood and folded her arms. "Maybe I ought to just sleep on the couch."

"Paige, you're being ridiculous!" Phoebe exclaimed. "I didn't bring you home with me so you could sleep on the couch!"

"Yeah, well I'm not too crazy about the idea of getting grilled by one of your sisters again."

"Will you leave my sisters out of it," Phoebe fumed. "My family has been nothing but gracious to you."

"Sure, since they still think I'm little miss goody-two-shoes roommate...what do you think Prue's gonna do to me once she finds out the truth? Or your grandmother?"

"Dammit, Paige, I am just trying to give you a chance to make a good first impression before we drop the bomb!" Phoebe yelled exasperatedly. Paige's eyes flashed with fury.

"Well don't do me any favors, Jack," she snarled, picking up her duffel bag and whirling around on her heels.

"Where are you going?" Phoebe demanded, looking bewildered.

"What, you think I've got nowhere else to go, is that it? You think you need to rescue poor little orphan Annie? I'm not your stray dog." Phoebe stopped dead.

"That's not what I..."

"Whatever. I'm outta here." Paige ran from the room, slamming the door behind her.

"Paige, wait!" Phoebe ran after her, grabbing her hand at the top of the stairs. Paige wrenched it away, not turning to look back, and stormed out of the house. Phoebe stood motionless on the landing, feeling her eyes fill with tears.


	9. Chapter 9

Hi kids!

wow, I cannot even begin to tell you how how busy my life has become these part few weeks. it's insane! I am actually living one of those quasi-glamorous new york lives that people talk about, and you know what? it's exhausting. I can barely catch my breath! Don't get me wrong, it's nice, but definitely not for me long-term (that's why internships are nice-- you get to test-drive a career before you committ your life to it). so, sorry the updates haven't been as frequent as they should've been. this one's been mostly written in my head for a week already! I just didn't have time to actually write it.

TexasWatermelon-- nice new name, just in time for summer :) don't worry, I haven't forgotten about prue and a certain someone...hope you can withstand the wait a little longer!

Maetro-- thanks! glad you find the characters real (god knows they're real to me!) and compelling. welcome aboard my crazy ship ;)

christphern-- yeah, I agree-- Paige _was_ overreacting! but that's just her way sometimes, as we've seen before...hope you're not to miffed about the long wait :)

theresa-- you can find all my other phoebe/paige fics right here; just click on my name and it'll take you there :)

CharmedOneForever-- thanks, I think they make a great couple too :)

wiccanforever-- what do you mean, _even though_ it's slash?? ;) (it's okay, I'm not really accusing you of homophobia, just poking fun)

to everyone else who gave general words of encouragement, thanks a bunch-- it's always appreciated! on with the show!

**Plaid Skirts**

**Chapter 9**

**By JewWitch**

Prue came out of the shower in her robe with a towel wrapped around her head, a look of mingled concern and confusion on her face as she followed the sound of her youngest sister's sobs. She found Phoebe crying her heart out on her bed, their middle sister stroking her hair consolingly.

"What the hell happened?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out, Prue," Piper responded dryly, looking up from where her younger sister's head was buried against the pillow. She had the agitated, slightly distracted manner that told Prue at once Piper knew something she didn't.

"Piper." She frowned. Piper looked away, biting her lip. Then Prue looked around the room, blinked, and raised one eyebrow. "Where's your roommate, Pheebs?" Phoebe mumbled something unintelligible into her pillow. "What, sweetie?"

"I said," Phoebe sniffed, sitting up with tears streaked across her reddened face, "I don't know where she is. She just left...I don't even know where to look for her!" Her lip trembled violently as she wiped angrily at her cheeks.

"Did you two have a fight?" Prue frowned. Phoebe nodded, and started to cry again.

"Everything's so fucked up...I didn't mean for you to find out this way..." she buried her face in her hands.

"Shh, baby," Piper said softly, putting out a hand to rub Phoebe's back as Prue stood there looking utterly bewildered.

Paige was sitting on a bench in the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park, chain smoking while tears ran silently down her face, and staring unseeingly at the giant koi swimming serenely around the murky green pond.

"Hey, dumb ass," said a gently teasing voice behind her.

"Hi Darcy," Paige mumbled hollowly. "Thanks for coming to get me."

"No sweat, chica." Darcy plopped herself down on the bench next to Paige, looking at her friend inquiringly. "You gonna tell me what the hell happened now?" Paige sighed and closed her eyes wearily. "Look, Paigey girl, you're not the first person in the history of the world to flip out meeting your girlfriend's parents." Paige's head snapped up, her bloodshot eyes wide with surprise.

"What?" Darcy laughed, and Paige scowled.

"Oh, come on, Paige...how dumb do you think I am? You haven't taken your eyes off her in about three months." Paige's miserable expression lifted momentarily into a weak grin. Then her lip began to tremble. "Aw, honey, it can't be that bad," Darcy said consolingly, putting a hand out to squeeze Paige's shoulder. "She hasn't taken her eyes off you, either!"

"I fucked it all up, Darce," Paige sobbed, her voice breaking as her shoulders began to shake. "I don't know what happened...I was just so scared of her family hating me after they found out I wasn't just her roommate..." Paige sniffed and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Well it doesn't matter now; they're definitely gonna hate me after today...and so will Phoebe."

"What did you do, put the moves on one of her sisters?" Paige smacked her shoulder.

"Very funny," She said, with just the edge of a smile. "I just...Phoebe was trying so hard to make everything perfect, for me, you know? And I just couldn't relax. I dunno, I guess I just had a panic attack or something, and I said...oh, I don't know what I said, nasty stuff...I called her a child and told her I didn't want her pity, and then when I said I was leaving, she tried to run after me, but I just...pushed her away. Literally. I pushed her." Paige started to cry in earnest.

"Not, like, hard enough to hurt her?" Darcy asked anxiously.

"Of course not!" Paige yelled, raising her head in outrage. "I would never..." She gulped. "But I just felt so..._angry_. And I don't even know why."

"Well that's no mystery," Darcy said with a roll of her eyes. Paige raised her eyebrows. "It's easier to be mad than scared, isn't it?" Paige opened her mouth as if to argue; then a look of dawning comprehension made the tight lines of her face go slack.

"You are wise, oh Buddha," she admitted sheepishly.

"I told you having a therapist wasn't a waste of time," Darcy grinned cheekily. "Now, do you still want to come back to Marin with me...or shall I take you back to Phoebe's house?" Paige looked up with wide, terrified eyes.

"What if...what if Phoebe won't forgive me?"

"She will," Darcy said with complete conviction.

"How do you know?" Paige persisted.

"Because, dummy," Darcy smirked. "She's fucking in love with you."

It was dark when the doorbell rang. Paige stood nervously on the welcome mat, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. She glanced over her shoulder at Darcy, who sat patiently in her car at the curb, waiting, on Paige's instructions, until she was sure they were going to let her in. The door finally swung open, and Paige turned, feeling her blood immediately run cold. Prue stood in front of her with arms folded, and leaned against the doorway, much like a lion lounging across the entrance of its den, confident and predatory, protecting the cubs within. She raised one eyebrow at Paige in a well-what-have-you-got-to-say-for-yourself sort of way.

"I came to say I'm sorry," Paige said quietly, meeting Prue's ice-blue gaze.

"She hasn't stopped crying since you left," Prue said flatly. "She won't eat, and she won't come out of her room. Our grams has no idea what the hell is going on." Prue continued to glare, her expression remaining steely even as Paige's wilted.

"I just want to talk to her," Paige begged earnestly. "Please...I have to make it right. I swear I'd never hurt her on purpose." Prue's eyes narrowed. After a moment's consideration, she pulled Paige into the house by one arm, shutting the door behind her. "Wait here," she instructed, steering Paige toward a couch. Paige sat rigidly erect in her seat, heart hammering in her throat, feeling slightly sick to her stomach. A moment later, Prue returned with Piper at her side. Paige thought she might throw up.

"Phoebe doesn't know you're here," Piper informed her flatly as she and Prue both took seats across from Paige. "We need to straighten a few things out first." Paige swallowed, thinking dimly through her nerves how lucky Phoebe was to have two big sisters who loved her and protected her so fiercely.

"Okay," She squeaked, in a high, unnatural voice. Piper's mouth twitched into an almost-grin, but it was gone in a moment.

"Number one," Piper pressed on, "is what exactly happened to make you break Phoebe's heart fifteen minutes after you told me you loved her?" Prue didn't blink, confirming Paige's suspicions that she, too, now knew the truth.

"I..." Paige began, but found her mouth was too dry to speak. She swallowed thickly. "I fucked up, okay? I was so unbelievably nervous about being here...meeting all of you...and, and, making a good impression...I just suck at keeping secrets, you know?" She looked back and forth between the two sisters desperately.

"And?" Prue prompted.

"And...I wanted to tell you right away that we were...you know...girlfriends...but Phoebe wanted to wait. She said she wanted you guys to get to know me first, because she thought, well, that it would make it less likely for you to freak..." Prue and Piper glanced at each other with what might have been amusement. "And I said okay, but I just didn't know how hard it would be! I couldn't relax, you know? And the more Phoebe tried to help, the more of a jerk I turned into." Her eyes pooled with tears again, making her vision too blurry to see Prue and Piper's expressions soften. "Please, just let me tell her I'm sorry," she whispered. "Then I'll l-leave if you w-want me to." She looked down, hurriedly wiping her eyes. Prue and Piper were silent for a moment.

"That's not up to us," Prue said finally, her voice no longer angry. Paige looked up hopefully through her tears.

"Go on," Piper urged her, grinning faintly now. "If you can make our little sister smile again, you're back in our good books." Paige smiled nervously, wiped her eyes one last time on her sleeve, and marched up the stairs to Phoebe's room, feeling like she had just passed through the lion's den unscathed; yet somehow she was more nervous than ever, heart thumping loudly in her ears as she knocked quietly on Phoebe's door. There was no response.

"Phoebe?" She called quietly, pushing the door open a few inches. "Can I come in?" She could hear the quiet sound of sniffling in the darkness, and suddenly all her nerves left her in one great rush, as her heart filled with a hot flood of tenderness. She crept into the room and closed the door gently behind her, shedding shoes and jacket as she went, and slipped under the covers, her arms reaching out and instantly gathering up the small, shivering form in the bed beside her.

"I'm s-sorry, Paigey," Phoebe sobbed, her voice rough and gravelly from hours of crying. She pressed her hot face into Paige's neck, immediately dampening her t-shirt with tears.

"No, baby, shh," Paige whispered, rocking her sobbing girlfriend tightly and kissing the top of her head. "You didn't do anything wrong...it was all my fault. I didn't mean any of it, I swear." They were both crying now, arms and legs entwined, holding each other desperately, whispering words of apology and devotion. Paige leaned down, searching for Phoebe's lips, but Phoebe jerked away suddenly.

"Don't kiss me!" She said quickly, swiping an arm across her face. "My nose is running." Paige laughed.

"I don't care," she murmured, and kissed her girlfriend firmly. Phoebe sighed, her trembling finally easing. "I'm sorry, Phoebe," Paige whispered.

"It's okay, Paigey," Phoebe whispered back, smiling faintly in the moonlight. "I forgive you." Paige reached out and traced her finger across Phoebe's eyebrows, and leaned in to kiss her again. Phoebe kissed her back gently; Paige could tell she was too exhausted, emotionally and physically, for much else.

"Why don't we go downstairs and get a snack? I know you didn't have dinner," Paige offered, one hand sneaking under Phoebe's shirt to rub her stomach.

"I'm not hungry," Phoebe mumbled sleepily, putting a hand over Paige's to keep her there.

"You're always hungry," Paige said confidently, sitting up and tugging Phoebe with her.

"Ohhh..." Phoebe groaned, pressing the heel of her palm into her right eye. "My head hurts."

"Poor baby," Paige murmured, kissing her forehead as a sharp bolt of guilt stabbed her heart. It was _her_ fault that Phoebe had cried herself sick, and she felt in every atom of her being a need to make her girlfriend feel better. "Why don't you go take a nice hot bath? I'll be right here waiting for you." Phoebe looked up, almost shyly, from beneath damp lashes.

"Okay," she grinned weakly.

Forty-five minutes later they walked into the kitchen together, hand in hand, to find Piper and Prue still sitting up over two cups of coffee. "I see you're feeling better," Prue smiled at her youngest sister, glancing at their entwined fingers.

"Uh-huh," Phoebe said croakily.

"Okay, what'll it be?" Piper asked, standing and pushing up her sleeves, and rattling off options for midnight snacks. "Leftover lasagna? Grilled cheese? Chocolate chip pancakes?" Paige was so relieved that Prue and Piper weren't mad at her anymore, that she felt weak in the knees, and sat down at the table. Phoebe curled up immediately in her lap.

"Pancakes?" Paige asked Phoebe shyly, still overwhelmed by the hospitality being shown her.

"Sure," Phoebe shrugged, putting her head down on Paige's shoulder.

"Why don't you guys go relax in the other room?" Piper said to all of them, going around to the island and busily clanging down pots and pans. "I'll bring the food in when it's ready." Prue sprang up from her seat, not needing to be told twice.

"Can mine be chocolate chip and banana?" She asked, wheedling.

"Don't push your luck," Piper said warningly, but she winked. Prue grinned happily, and grabbed Paige's hand, pulling her toward the swinging door. They found a late night channel playing _The Breakfast Club_, and were halfway through it when Piper joined them with a large platter of pancakes and tall glasses of milk. They all ate with gusto, showering Piper with praises, except for Phoebe, who poked her pancakes for a few minutes and then fell asleep with her head against Paige's arm. Paige adjusted herself slightly after Piper took their empty plates away, shifting so Phoebe was resting more comfortably with her head in Paige's lap, and gently playing with Phoebe's soft hair until the credits rolled. Glancing up, Paige realized with a jolt that it was almost two in the morning.

"C'mon, kiddies, time for bed," Prue yawned, standing with a stretch. Paige reached down and gently shook Phoebe's shoulder.

"Mmmm," Phoebe mumbled.

"Wake up, sweetie," Paige murmured softly. "Time to go upstairs." Half asleep, Phoebe sat up, and groaned pitifully, pressing a hand to her forehead. "You head still hurting?" Paige asked sympathetically.

"Uh-huh," Phoebe whimpered, eyes still closed. "Worse than before..."

"My poor girl," Paige cooed, taking Phoebe's hand away and kissing her forehead. She frowned. "Oh, baby, you've got a fever."

"What?" Prue and Piper demanded together, both of them immediately turning and descending on the couch.

"M'okay," Phoebe mumbled sleepily. "Just wanna go to bed..." Her eyes remained closed as both her sisters felt her face anxiously.

"Okay, honey," Prue said quietly. "I'm just gonna get you some Tylenol, and then you can go to sleep, okay?"

"'Kay," Phoebe yawned, letting Piper and Paige steer her up the stairs.

"I'm sorry you don't feel good, baby," Paige cooed, gently smoothing Phoebe's hair back from her face as they got her into bed.

"Paigey, don't go," Phoebe murmured, opening her eyes a crack to look up sleepily at her girlfriend, gripping her hand tightly.

"I'm not going anywhere, Pheebs," Paige assured her, squeezing back. "I'm gonna be right here next to you when you wake up." Phoebe smiled. Piper watched silently as Paige crawled into bed beside her, reaching out to gently rub her temples, just as Phoebe had done for her one night not so terribly long ago. "Does that feel good?" She asked quietly.

"Uh-huh," Phoebe mumbled. "Thanks."

"Anytime." Watching her sister curling up against Paige's side, and the gentle, protective way Paige held her, Piper felt sure she was right to trust her gut-- she wasn't sure she'd ever really been in love herself, but she knew love when she saw it. Fleetingly, she felt jealous of her baby sister; but no, she told herself firmly, she wanted Phoebe to be happy, of course she did. She just hoped she'd meet someone who made her that happy someday, too.

"Okay," Prue hummed quietly, coming into the room with a bottle of pills in one hand and a glass of water in the other. Between the three of them, it was easy enough to get Phoebe to sit up and swallow them, her eyes staying closed the whole time.

"We'll be right down the hall, Paige," Piper said quietly as she and Prue both kissed their youngest sister on the cheek, and tiptoed from the room. "Call us if you need anything, okay?"

"Okay," Paige nodded, stroking Phoebe's hair unconsciously. "Thanks." Piper and Prue both smiled at her, and closed the door quietly. In the hallway, they gave each other a long look.

"Did we really just put our baby sister in bed with her girlfriend?" Prue asked, blinking quizzically as if she couldn't quite believe herself.

"Well, look at it this way," Piper shrugged. "At least we don't have to worry about her getting pregnant."


	10. Chapter 10

Hey peeps,

well it seems like I am always apologizing for the long waits these days...though you should really feel lucky that I'm updating at all! ;) The truth is, I am busier now than I have been in a loooooong time. It's good though. After a slightly rocky start, my internship is going great-- I went to pride 2 weeks ago with a press pass, which means among other things that the cops couldn't hassle me, I could go anywhere I wanted and cut through police lines, AND I got to talk to all the journalists (part of my job is to keep track of all the press coverage at events like, well, the nyc gay pride march!) so that was totally hard rock. And among other things, my 16 year-old cousin is coming in on the train from new jersey to stay with me tonight, and then I'm going out of town this weekend, so I knew if I didn't get an update in pronto it would REALLY be a long time. And I didn't want to punish you, my faithful readers, just because I suddenly have a life ;) so there. Enjoy!

**Plaid Skirts**

**Chapter 10**

**By JewWitch**

"Ow!" Paige awoke with a yelp of pain, and only just managed to resist turning and smacking Phoebe hard. It was the third time her girlfriend had rolled over and jammed a knee into her stomach, waking her efficiently with a jolt of surprise, not to mention the tender bruise rising below her ribs. She sighed, staring up at the stripes of moonlight hitting the ceiling from the slanted windows, feeling both annoyed with her girlfriend for kicking her, and guilty for her annoyance. How could she be mad at somebody who was asleep, and sick besides? Phoebe had never been a restless sleeper before; Paige felt sure it was the fever making her toss and turn. This thought made her feel even more guilty for her groggy irritation. With a resigned sigh, Paige reached over and turned on the bedside lamp, squinting into the sudden harsh light. Blinking a few times to clear the sleep from her eyes, she rolled over and looked at Phoebe, smoothing her damp hair back behind her ears. Phoebe twitched and whimpered, her fingers curling and uncurling around nothing.

"It's okay, sweet girl," Paige hummed quietly, laying the back of her hand against Phoebe's cheek and feeling the sticky heat rising off her. She leaned down and kissed the sleeping girl's forehead, then quietly crawled out of the bed and tiptoed to the door, her bare feet muffled in the carpet.

Phoebe was trying to run, but her feet felt heavy, stuck to the ground with terror. A monster was chasing her, a horrible scaly monster with red eyes and poisonous fangs, scorching her with its fiery breath as it howled. She tried desperately to pull her legs up, to run, but she was completely paralyzed. She was holding a wailing baby, trying to protect it; but the next minute, the baby had turned to ice in her arms. She clutched the baby tighter, horrified and confused, but she couldn't let go. Then suddenly the scene melted into darkness; the fiery monster and the icy baby disappeared, but the raging hot and cold didn't go away. She opened her eyes. Paige was lying next to her, just like always; but now she was holding an ice pack against Phoebe's forehead, and humming quietly. Her eyes were closed.

"Paigey?" Phoebe mumbled, turning her head so the ice pack slid off, and Paige's eyes flew open with a start.

"Huh? Oh..." Paige yawned. "Here, baby, you've got to keep this ice on a little while longer," she said softly, picking up the dripping cold pack from the pillow and resting it back against Phoebe's forehead.

"Paigey, it's too hot," Phoebe whined, kicking off the covers and surprising Paige by pulling her sweat-soaked pajama top up over her head. Even though it was too dark for Paige to really see anything, she could still feel herself blushing from her cheeks down to her toes, the warmth pooling behind her bellybutton.

"I know you feel hot, honey, it's just the fever...it'll be better soon, I promise." Paige smoothed Phoebe's damp hair back against the pillow as she spoke.

"Uhhhhh..." Phoebe groaned pitifully, twisting onto her side and curling up with her arms wrapped around her knees. "Everything's spinning..." Paige put out a hand and rubbed Phoebe's back.

"Should I wake up one of your sisters?" She asked anxiously.

"Nu-uh," Phoebe shook her head weakly. "Stay."

"Are you sure--" Paige began, but Phoebe cut her off.

"Yes. ...Please, just...keep your hands on me."

"Okay," Paige said quietly, still lightly stroking the soft skin of Phoebe's back, slick with sweat though she was shivering. "How about a story?"

"Yeah," Phoebe mumbled, reaching out a hand to find a bit of Paige's nightshirt. "Tell me a story, Paigey."

"Once upon a time," Paige began softly, turning over the ice pack to the colder side, "there was a beautiful young girl whose father loved her so much, he never wanted anything to hurt her, so he built a lovely garden with a wall all around it..."

"Shouldn't do that," Phoebe mumbled. Her voice was muffled, as if she were underwater, her face half pressed against the pillow. "Walls're bad..."

"Mmm," Paige agreed, her fingers trailing lightly over Phoebe's stomach now, soothing the restless girl. "Well, the girl loved the garden and all the beautiful things that grew there, and for a long time she grew up happily inside its walls, with her father's watchful eye upon her."

"Did she...hmm..." Phoebe trailed off, asleep before she could finish her question. Her breath evened out to a slow, steady rhythm.

"Yes," Paige whispered, leaning in close to kiss her sleeping girlfriend gently on the lips. "She did."

Paige stayed in bed as long as she could the next morning, ignoring her growling stomach as the sun rose yolk-bright across the bedroom wall, reaching toward the ceiling. She lay tracing her fingers across the smooth lines of Phoebe's sleeping face, memorizing her jawbone, the bridge of her nose, the delicate curl of her ear. She knew her girlfriend was still under the weather, because normally these gentle, teasing touches were enough to wake her within a few minutes, the pull of the physical luring her back from the ocean of sleep like a siren's call. Paige loved waking up first and watching Phoebe's big brown eyes blink open, so unguarded; and then settle on her, lit up with sleepy affection.

A quiet knock sent Paige's heart leaping into her throat, and she practically jumped back to her side of the bed as the door creaked open, and Phoebe's grandmother came in carrying a tray and smiling brightly.

"Good morning, dear," she said to Paige as she sat the tray down on Phoebe's bedside table. "I hope I didn't wake you?" The way she said it, Paige wasn't sure whether she meant that she hoped she hadn't disturbed her, _or_ that she hoped Paige wasn't still sleeping at 11am.

"No," she said bashfully with a shake of her head. "I just didn't want to leave Phoebe."

"Well that's very sweet of you, but I'm sure Phoebe wouldn't want you to miss the whole day," Grams said, a note of sternness in her voice that made Paige feel sure this woman was used to getting her way. It actually reminded her of Phoebe a little, when she'd put her hands on her hips and inform Paige that she'd studied enough, and it was time for bed. She grinned inadvertently, watching as Phoebe's grandmother expertly maneuvered a digital thermometer into her ear without waking her. The readout flashed 100.7.

"Poor Pheebs," Paige said quietly, reaching out unthinkingly to brush back a lock of hair that fell across the sleeping girl's face.

"With a few days rest and plenty of fluids, she'll be right as rain," Grams said bracingly, reaching over to the tray to open a bottle of aspirin. "I really should've put you in Piper's room last night, but it's too late to keep you away from her germs now, I suppose." _Way too late_, Paige thought silently, with a wry grin. "You go downstairs and get yourself a vitamin C from above the sink, and have Piper fix you some breakfast and a nice glass of orange juice."

"Oh..." Paige looked up in surprise, her mouth open stupidly like a fish out of water. How long had it been since anyone had spoken to her like that-- authoritatively, almost...like a parent? "Okay." She sat up, but didn't leave the bed right away; Phoebe's fingers had closed over hers as her grandmother roused her.

"Uhhh...go away," she grumbled weakly. Grams blithely ignored her protests, and with surprising agility for a woman her age, had Phoebe half-sitting up against the pillows in a few moments and was cajoling her into swallowing the aspirin. "Where's Paige?" She coughed.

"I'm right here, Pheebs," Paige said quietly, squeezing her fingers. "Told you I wasn't going anywhere." Phoebe turned and blinked, glassy-eyed, her gaze unfocused.

"You came home with me," she grinned woozily, looking suddenly much younger.

"Yeah," Paige grinned back, her stomach flooding with butterflies. Phoebe blinked some more, slowly, obviously trying to clear her head.

"Grams, I'm dizzy." She rubbed her forehead, letting her arm drop back against the pillow.

"Just lie back and close your eyes, darling," Grams hummed quietly, easing Phoebe's shoulders down and pulling up the covers around her.

"'Kay," Phoebe mumbled, her eyes already closed. A long stretch of silence passed before Paige realized, with a start, that they were both just sitting there, watching Phoebe sleep. Blushing, she gently pulled her hand from Phoebe's grip, standing with a stretch. Downstairs, she found Piper and Prue presiding over a truly magnificent breakfast, poached eggs with real hollandaise sauce, chicken-apple sausage and sliced melon and fresh-baked banana bread. Prue explained it away as the logical result of Piper being cooped up in a dorm all semester, deprived of her kitchen; Piper said simply that as long as someone else did the dishes she'd be happy. Of course Paige volunteered, and Prue even offered to dry, drawing out their "morning" well into the early afternoon. Though no one said it, it couldn't have been clearer that they were all dawdling, none of them wanting to leave the house or do any of the things they'd planned for their vacation while Phoebe was upstairs in bed. Instead they spent the day doing homework they would've normally put off until the last day, reading and taking turns at the computer. Phoebe slept through most of the day, and when she was awake she was groggy and quiet, as if speech required more effort than she could muster.

"Do you want some tea, honey?" Prue asked, when they'd gotten her downstairs to the couch and were all flocked around her watching cartoons.

"Okay," Phoebe yawned, but once it was in front of her she lost interest.

"I wish she'd complain a little," Piper frowned in the kitchen, dumping another mug of cold tea down the drain. "That would at least be normal Phoebe. The only thing she's said all day is _okay_." Paige was slightly unnerved by this statement, but reasoned that it was probably perfectly normal for big sisters to fuss over their little sisters when they weren't well.

"I just hope she gets to have some real vacation," she said miserably, staring at her shoes.

"Aw, Paigey," Prue grinned affectionately. "We'll make sure she does." Paige warmed slightly. Somehow Phoebe's sister calling her _Paigey_ cheered her immensely, and made her feel less of a fifth wheel in the Halliwell household. She smiled at Prue. Then they all heard a _thunk _from beyond the swinging kitchen door, sending them racing back into the living room. Phoebe was heaped on the floor beside the couch, one hand reaching up to steady herself on the coffee table. Her face was, Paige noticed, shining with sweat, and her cheeks were cherry-red.

"Phoebe, what happened?" Prue demanded, rushing to her side to help her up.

"Nothing. I just had to go to the bathroom...I guess I got dizzy." Phoebe leaned into Prue's shoulder as Piper came around and gripped her other arm.

"I think we should take you to the doctor," Piper frowned, laying a hand on her sister's unnaturally red cheek.

"Okay," Phoebe mumbled, blinking blearily. "But...first, will you take me to the bathroom?" It would have been funny if they weren't all so worried. Paige held Phoebe's head in her lap all the way to the doctor's office, where they managed to get directly into the back office without even going into the waiting area. It was only a few minutes before a sprightly old woman, easily as old as Grams with a neat silver bun at the nape of her neck, entered smiling.

"Well, I wish I could say it was a pleasure to see you, girls," she said mildly.

"Thanks for squeezing us in, Dr. Connor," Prue said effusively, relief painted all over her face as the sturdy-looking woman entered.

"You don't have to thank me, Prudence," the doctor said airily, patting her shoulder. "This is family." Prue nodded, grinning weakly. "Now, Phoebe. Let's take a look at you. Can you sit up?" Phoebe was still half-laying across Paige's lap, but it was easy enough to pull her up in her seat and onto the examining table. They were all silent while Dr. Connor took Phoebe's vitals, including Phoebe herself, who hadn't said a word since they'd left the house.

"How long has she had a fever?" The doctor asked Prue, looking into Phoebe's ear.

"Only since last night," Prue said anxiously. "I wouldn't normally call just for that, but she's so listless...and then she fell off the couch...she's just not herself."

"Mmm-hmm," the doctor agreed, looking into Phoebe's other ear now. "Aha. Well it's nothing to be too alarmed about, but she's got an inner-ear infection here on the left side...it's good that we caught it early, or she'd be falling down the stairs next." She looked up and winked, letting them all know that she was confident enough in her diagnosis to joke about it. They all grinned back stupidly. "I'll call in a prescription for some antibiotics, and you can pick them up on the way home."

"Thank you so much," Piper gushed, jumping up and hugging the doctor tightly.

"Easy, Piper, I'm an old woman," she laughed, patting Piper on the back. Then she looked up and noticed Paige for the first time. "Have I miscounted, or has Penny been uncovering extra grandchildren since we last spoke?" Paige blushed. Prue put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry-- this is Paige, she's Phoebe's roommate at Saint Anne's."

"A delight," Dr. Connor extended her hand for Paige to shake. "Well girls, I hope our next visit will be a social call...Phoebe, you go home and rest. Doctor's orders." She winked again.

"Okay," Phoebe yawned, and leaned her head against Paige's shoulder. Paige turned and kissed the top of her head.

"C'mon, sweet girl, let's get you home."

As soon as they got home, Piper made a beeline for the kitchen while Paige and Prue brought Phoebe back over to the couch and covered her with a blanket.

"Here, sweetie, eat some of this," Piper urged, coming in from the kitchen with a slice of banana bread and a glass of milk.

"I'm not hungry, Pipe," Phoebe murmured, closing her eyes.

"You can't take your pills on a empty stomach, sweetie, or you'll get sick...sicker than you already are, I mean." Piper grinned wryly. "C'mon, let's get it over with." Too exhausted to argue, Phoebe ate a few mouthfuls, then swallowed the fat yellow pill Prue handed her.

"Paigey?"

"Hmm?" Paige was sitting in the loveseat next to the couch, trying to stay out of Prue and Piper's way as they took care of their little sister.

"Will you lay down with me for a little while?" Paige's heart melted. She grinned goofily.

"Sure I will, baby," she said softly, crawling under the covers next to Phoebe's limp form and wrapping both arms around her. She still felt very hot, but Paige didn't mind.

"Paige, do you need anything?" Piper asked quietly.

"Uh-uh," Paige shook her head, closing her eyes and breathing in the scent of Phoebe's hair. She had everything she needed in the world.


End file.
